TITTLE-TATTLE

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does tittle-tattle mean? 

• TITTLE-TATTLE (noun)
  The noun TITTLE-TATTLE has 1 sense:

1. light informal conversation for social occasions

  Familiarity information: TITTLE-TATTLE used as a noun is very rare.

• TITTLE-TATTLE (verb)
  The verb TITTLE-TATTLE has 1 sense:

1. speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly

  Familiarity information: TITTLE-TATTLE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TITTLE-TATTLE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Light informal conversation for social occasions

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

causerie; chin-wag; chin-wagging; chin wag; chin wagging; chit-chat; chit chat; chitchat; gab; gabfest; gossip; small talk; tittle-tattle

Hypernyms ("tittle-tattle" is a kind of...):

chat; confab; confabulation; schmoose; schmooze (an informal conversation)

Derivation:

tittle-tattle (speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly)

• TITTLE-TATTLE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they tittle-tattle    ... he / she / it tittle-tattles   
Past simple: tittle-tattled   
Past participle: tittle-tattled   
-ing form: tittle-tattling   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

blab; blabber; chatter; clack; gabble; gibber; maunder; palaver; piffle; prate; prattle; tattle; tittle-tattle; twaddle

Hypernyms (to "tittle-tattle" is one way to...):

mouth; speak; talk; utter; verbalise; verbalize (express in speech)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "tittle-tattle"):

babble; blather; blether; blither; smatter (to talk foolishly)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sentence example:

Sam and Sue tittle-tattle

Derivation:

tittle-tattle (light informal conversation for social occasions)

 Context examples 

The attentions of a certain person can hardly be among the tittle-tattle of Highbury yet.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

It took its rise out of the tittle-tattle and tale-bearing which had been the cause of Johnson’s beating, and from the noise we heard, and from the sight of the bruised men next day, it was patent that half the forecastle had soundly drubbed the other half.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)