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To talk much and to little purpose; to be loquacious; to speak foolishly; to babble. To prate and talk for life and honor. Shak. And make a fool presume to prate of love. Dryden.

To utter as prattle; to babble; as, to prattle treason. Addison.

adow reed grass (Bot.), the Glyceria aquatica, a tall grass found in wet places. -- Reed babbler. See Reedbird. -- Reed bunting (Zoöl.) A European sparrow (Emberiza schoeniclus) which frequents marshy places; -- called also reed sparrow, ring bunting. (b) Reedling. -- Reed canary grass (Bot.), a tall wild grass (Pha…

small Asiatic singing birds of the genera Schoenicola and Eurycercus; -- called also reed babbler.

To talk superficially or ignorantly; to babble; to chatter. Of state affairs you can not smatter. Swift.

A loquacious person, male or female; a prattler; a babbler; also, a boaster; a braggart; -- used in contempt or reproach. Jer. Taylor.

-- Babbling thrush, any one of numerous species of Asiatic timaline birds; -- called also babbler. -- Fruit thrush, any species of bulbul. -- Shrike thrush. See under Shrike. -- Stone thrush, the missel thrush; -- said to be so called from its marbled breast. -- Thrush nightingale. See Nightingale, 2. -- Thrush ti…

Of or pertaining to the genus Timalus or family Timalidæ, which includes the babblers thrushes, and bulbuls.

ous species of Asiatic singing birds belonging to Siva, Milna, and allied genera. -- Tit babbler (Zoöl.), any one of several species of small East Indian and Asiatic timaline birds of the genus Trichastoma. -- Tit for tat. Etym: [Probably for tip for tap. See Tip a slight blow.] An equivalent; retaliation. -- Tit th…

3d pers. sing. pres. of Wit, to know. [Obs.] "He wotteth neither what he babbleth, nor what he meaneth." Tyndale.