Etymology

chat

C3H4A1T1

Today it means: To be engaged in informal conversation. Full definition →

English chatterclip. ← Middle English chateren
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chat · verb, noun, interjection1

  1. Middle Englishcheteren, chiteren (Imitative)
  2. Middle Englishchateren
  3. Englishchatterclip.
  4. English todaychat

Clipping of chatter. The bird sense refers to the sound of its call.

chat · noun2

Compare chit (“small piece of paper”), and chad.

chat · noun3

Unknown.

chat · noun4

From thieves' cant.

Chat · proper noun5

Clipping of ChatGPT.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.