Pronunciation: chăt
v. i.1.To talk in a light and familiar manner; to converse without form or ceremony; to gossip.
[imp. & p. p. Chatted; p. pr. & vb. n. Chatting.]
To chat a while on their adventures.
- Dryden.
v. t.1.To talk of.
n.1.Light, familiar talk; conversation; gossip.
2.(Zool.) A bird of the genus Icteria, allied to the warblers, in America. The best known species are the yellow-breasted chat (Icteria viridis), and the long-tailed chat (Icteria longicauda). In Europe the name is given to several birds of the family Saxicolidæ, as the stonechat, and whinchat.
Bush chat
(Zool.) See under Bush.
1.A twig, cone, or little branch. See Chit.
2.(Mining) Small stones with ore.
Chat potatoes
small potatoes, such as are given to swine.
Noun1.chat - an informal conversation
2.chat - birds having a chattering call
Synonyms: New World chat
3.chat - songbirds having a chattering call
Synonyms: Old World chat
Verb1.chat - talk socially without exchanging too much information; "the men were sitting in the cafe and shooting the breeze"
(chat, tool, networking, messaging)chat - Any system that allows any number of logged-in users to have a typed, real-time, on-line conversation, either by all users logging into the same computer, or more commonly nowadays, via a network.


Some well known chat systems to date (1998) include IRC, ICQ and Palace.


The conventions of chat systems include special items of jargon, generally abbreviations meant to save typing, which are not used orally. E.g., re, BCNU, BBL, BTW, CUL, FWIW, FYA, FYI, IMHO, OTT, TNX, WRT, WTF, WTH, , , BBL, HHOK, NHOH, ROTFL, AFK, b4, TTFN, TTYL, OIC, re.

Much of the chat style is identical to (and probably derived from) Morse code jargon used by ham-radio amateurs since the 1920s, and there is, not surprisingly, some overlap with TDD jargon. Most of the jargan was in use in talk systems. Many of these expressions are also common in Usenet news and electronic mail and some have seeped into popular culture, as with emoticons.

The MUD community uses a mixture of emoticons, a few of the more natural of the old-style talk mode abbreviations, and some of the "social" list above; specifically, MUD respondents report use of BBL, BRB, LOL, b4, BTW, WTF, TTFN, and WTH. The use of "re" or "rehi" is also common; in fact, MUDders are fond of "re-" compounds and will frequently "rehug" or "rebonk" (see bonk/oif) people. In general, though, MUDders express a preference for typing things out in full rather than using abbreviations; this may be due to the relative youth of the MUD cultures, which tend to include many touch typists. Abbreviations specific to MUDs include: FOAD, ppl (people), THX (thanks), UOK? (are you OK?).


See also hakspek.

Suck article "Screaming in a Vacuum".
babble, babblement, bavardage, be closeted with, bibble-babble, blabber, blah-blah, blather, blether, blethers, bull session, bullshit, burble, cackle, caquet, caqueterie, causerie, chatter, chew the fat, chin, chitter-chatter, clack, clatter, colloque, colloquy, compare, confab, confabulate, confabulation, coze, cozy chat, dialogue, dish, dither, entice, flirt with, friendly chat, gab, gabble, gam, gas, gibber, gibble-gabble, go on, gossip, guff, gush, haver, heart-to-heart, heart-to-heart talk, hot air, idle talk, induce, inveigle, jaw, lallygag, little talk, lure, make conversation, mere talk, natter, nonsense talk, palaver, parley, patter, persuade, pour forth, prate, prating, prattle, prevail upon, prittle-prattle, proposition, prose, ramble on, rap, rap session, rattle, rattle on, reel off, run on, seduce, shoot the breeze, small talk, smatter, spout, spout off, talk away, talk nonsense, talk on, talkee-talkee, tempt, tete-a-tete, tinkle, tittle-tattle, twaddle, twattle, twiddle, twitter, visit, waffle, yak, yakkety-yak, yammer, yap, yarn
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Chaste tree
-- Chat --
Chat potatoes
chat room
chat show
chat up
Chateau en Espagne
Chateura pelagica
