Dictionary

tatter en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈtætə(ɹ)/

Etymology

From Middle English tater, from Old Norse tǫturr, from Proto-Germanic *tat(t)uraz (“tuft, patch”). Cognate with Icelandic tötur (“rag, tatter”).

Meanings

1. A shred of torn cloth; an individual item of torn and ragged clothing.
   • You can’t – you shan’t – you don’t – you won’t – you thing of rag and tatter, O! 1896, “Well You're a Pretty Kind of Fellow”, William S. Gilbert (lyrics), Sir Arthur Sullivan (music):

Forms

Translations (32)

bg парцал (A shred of torn cloth) · oc pedaç (A shred of torn cloth) · oc esquinç (A shred of torn cloth) · izh hohla (A shred of torn cloth) · bg дрипа (A shred of torn cloth) · ota خرقه (A shred of torn cloth) · fi riekale (A shred of torn cloth) · fi riepu (A shred of torn cloth) · ca drap (A shred of torn cloth) · eo drapaĉo (A shred of torn cloth) · de Fetzen (A shred of torn cloth) · grc λακίς (A shred of torn cloth) · pt farrapo (A shred of torn cloth) · ro zdreanță (A shred of torn cloth) · pt rasgo (A shred of torn cloth) · gl trapo (A shred of torn cloth) · io rago (A shred of torn cloth) · de Lumpen (A shred of torn cloth) · cs cár (A shred of torn cloth) · izh räpäle (A shred of torn cloth) · cmn 碎布 (A shred of torn cloth) · gl farrapo (A shred of torn cloth) · cs hadr (A shred of torn cloth) · pt trapo (A shred of torn cloth) · it straccio (A shred of torn cloth) · ota پاچاوره (A shred of torn cloth) · it strofinaccio (A shred of torn cloth) · gl aldraxe (A shred of torn cloth) · oc limbèl (A shred of torn cloth) · it cencio (A shred of torn cloth) · gl galdrapa (A shred of torn cloth) · fr lambeau (A shred of torn cloth)

tatter en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈtætə(ɹ)/

Etymology

From Middle English tater, from Old Norse tǫturr, from Proto-Germanic *tat(t)uraz (“tuft, patch”). Cognate with Icelandic tötur (“rag, tatter”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To destroy an article of clothing etc. by shredding.
2. (intransitive) To fall into tatters.

Forms

Deriveds

tatterer · tattery · fortatter · tatty

Translations (4)

cs rozdírat (to destroy by shredding) · cs roztrhat (to destroy by shredding) · cs rozedrat se (to fall into tatters) · cs rozedrat (to destroy by shredding)

tatter en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈtætə(ɹ)/

Etymology

From tat + -er.

Meanings

1. A person engaged in tatting.

Forms

tatter en · VERB · etymology 3

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈtætə(ɹ)/

Etymology

From tat (“origin unknown”) + -er (“frequentative suffix”). Compare tattle.

Meanings

1. (Ireland, dialectal) To go at great speed.
   • “Well, away they wint tattherin’ along the road, makin’ the fire fly out o’ the stones at no rate. So whin I seen they'd no eyes, I knew it was onpossible they could ivir see me, so up I got out o’ the ditch, and afther thim wid me along the road as fast as ivir I culd lay fut to ground.” 1850, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, London: H.G. Bohn, page 520:

Forms