[syn: babble, blather, smatter, blether, blither]
3. speak with spotty or superficial knowledge;
- Example: "She smatters Russian"
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Smatter \Smat"ter\, v. i. [OE. smateren to make a noise; cf. Sw.
smattra to clatter, to crackle, G. schmettern to dash, crash,
to warble, quaver.]
1. To talk superficially or ignorantly; to babble; to
chatter.
[1913 Webster]
Of state affairs you can not smatter. --Swift.
[1913 Webster]
2. To have a slight taste, or a slight, superficial
knowledge, of anything; to smack.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Smatter \Smat"ter\, v. t.
1. To talk superficially about.
[1913 Webster]
2. To gain a slight taste of; to acquire a slight,
superficial knowledge of; to smack. --Chaucer.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Smatter \Smat"ter\, n.
Superficial knowledge; a smattering.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
smatter
v 1: work with in an amateurish manner; "She dabbles in
astronomy"; "He plays around with investments but he never
makes any money" [syn: dabble, smatter, play around]
2: to talk foolishly; "The two women babbled and crooned at the
baby" [syn: babble, blather, smatter, blether,
blither]
3: speak with spotty or superficial knowledge; "She smatters
Russian"
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
24 Moby Thesaurus words for "smatter":
babble, burst, cackle, chat, chatter, clack, few, fragment, gab,
gas, handful, jaw, pash, prate, prattle, rive, scattering, shiver,
smash, smattering, spatter, spattering, splinter, sprinkling