Dictionary
Thesaurus
Medical
Scrabble®
Spanish Central
Browse DictionaryBrowse Thesaurus
Get our free apps!iPhone•iPad•Android
Games
Word of the Day
Video
Blog: Words at Play
My Faves
Dictionary

1tatter

verb tat·ter \ˈta-tər\

Definition of TATTER

transitive verb
:  to make ragged
intransitive verb
:  to become ragged
ADVERTISEMENT

First Known Use of TATTER

14th century

Related to TATTER

Synonyms
rend, ribbon, rip, rive, shred, tear

Rhymes with TATTER

attar, batter, blatter, chatter, clatter, flatter, hatter, latter, matter, natter, patter, plaiter, platter, ratter, scatter, shatter, smatter, spatter, splatter

2tatter

noun

Definition of TATTER

1
:  a part torn and left hanging :  shred
2
plural :  tattered clothing :  rags
See tatter defined for kids

Origin of TATTER

Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse tǫturr tatter; akin to Old English tætteca rag, Old High German zotta matted hair, tuft
First Known Use: 15th century

Rhymes with TATTER

batter, chatter, clatter, flatter, matter, natter, patter, plaiter, scatter, shatter, smatter, spatter, splatter
TATTER Defined for Kids

tatter

noun tat·ter \ˈta-tər\

Definition of TATTER for Kids

1
:  a part torn and left hanging :  shred
2
tatters plural :  ragged clothing

Learn More About TATTER

Browse

Next Word in the Dictionary: tatterdemalion (noun)Previous Word in the Dictionary: tat–tatAll Words Near: tatter
ADVERTISEMENT
10 Charming Words for Nasty People
Put-downs with flair
Learn More
When "Literally" isn't, well, literal
How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.
Watch Now
Know what this is?
Test your vocab with our fun, fast game
Go Play
Fear of cats?
Ailurophobia, and 9 other unusual fears
Learn More
Join Us
Merriam-Webster
on Facebook
Merriam-Webster
on Twitter
Bookstore: Digital and Print
Merriam-Webster references for Mobile, Kindle, print, and more.
See All
Other Merriam-Webster Dictionaries