Prate

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -eɪt

Origin

From Middle English praten; related to Dutch praten ("to talk, chat"), Low German praten, Danish prate, Swedish prata ("to talk, prate"), Faroese práta ("to talk, gossip"), Icelandic prata; all ultimately from Proto-Germanic *prattuz ("idle or boastful talk, deceit"), from Proto-Indo-European *brodno- ("to wander, rove"). Cognate with Polish bredzić ("to rave, jabber"), Latvian bradāt ("to talk nonsense").

Full definition of prate

Noun

1. Talk to little purpose; trifling talk; unmeaning loquacity.

Derived terms

• prater
• pratingly
• prattle
• prattler

Verb

1. To talk much and to little purpose; to chatter; to be loquacious; to speak foolishly; to babble.
• DrydenWhat nonsense would the fool, thy master, prate,
  When thou, his knave, canst talk at such a rate!

Synonyms

• ( speak (about unimportant matters) ) blabber, chatter, clack, gabble, gibber, maunder, palaver, piffle, prattle, twaddle

Anagrams

• apert, apter, pater, petra, Petra, preta, repat, taper, trape