"pit-a-pat" meaning in English

See pit-a-pat in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

Etymology: Imitative. Head templates: {{en-adj|?}} pit-a-pat
  1. Characterized by quick tapping sounds; palpitating. Related terms: pitter-patter
    Sense id: en-pit-a-pat-en-adj-lAUcrNk6 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English reduplications, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 57 13 10 10 10 Disambiguation of English reduplications: 61 13 10 9 7 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 55 14 11 11 9 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 74 8 7 6 5
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: pit a pat, pitapat, pit-pat, pitpat, pitter-pat, pitterpat

Adverb

Etymology: Imitative. Head templates: {{en-adv|-}} pit-a-pat (not comparable)
  1. With a quick tapping sound Tags: not-comparable
    Sense id: en-pit-a-pat-en-adv-14-rMjnc
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: pit a pat, pitapat, pit-pat, pitpat, pitter-pat, pitterpat

Interjection

Etymology: Imitative. Head templates: {{en-interj}} pit-a-pat
  1. Representing a series of quick tapping sounds.
    Sense id: en-pit-a-pat-en-intj-y-d~50Lm
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: pit a pat, pitapat, pit-pat, pitpat, pitter-pat, pitterpat

Noun

Forms: pit-a-pats [plural]
Etymology: Imitative. Head templates: {{en-noun}} pit-a-pat (plural pit-a-pats)
  1. A series of quick tapping sounds
    Sense id: en-pit-a-pat-en-noun-KK7V5VE6
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: pit a pat, pitapat, pit-pat, pitpat, pitter-pat, pitterpat

Verb

Forms: pit-a-pats [present, singular, third-person], pit-a-patting [participle, present], pit-a-patted [participle, past], pit-a-patted [past]
Etymology: Imitative. Head templates: {{en-verb|++}} pit-a-pat (third-person singular simple present pit-a-pats, present participle pit-a-patting, simple past and past participle pit-a-patted)
  1. To make a series of quick tapping sounds; to palpitate
    Sense id: en-pit-a-pat-en-verb-R1Q4wnIT
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: pit a pat, pitapat, pit-pat, pitpat, pitter-pat, pitterpat

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_text": "Imitative.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "pit-a-pat",
      "name": "en-interj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "intj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1900 May, Frederic Villiers, “Twenty Years on the War Path. […] VII.—“My Friend Corporal Tonbar.””, in The Canadian Magazine of Politics, Science, Art and Literature, volume XV, number 1, Toronto, Ont.: The Ontario Publishing Co., Ltd., page 40, column 2:",
          "text": "Pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, the bullets kept falling and stirring up little puffs of dust on the open ground in front of the zeriba.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "[1921], Aimee Semple McPherson, Divine Healing Sermons, [Los Angeles, Calif.], →OCLC, page thirteen:",
          "text": "“Pit-a-pat! Pit-a-pat!”—On go the thousands of feet; on to the movie and on to the dance; on to the office, the club and the bank.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2004, Julia Donaldson, “The Mouse and the Lion”, in Crazy Mayonnaisy Mum, Macmillan Children’s Books, published 2005, →ISBN, page 4:",
          "text": "Pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, / He danced on the whiskery nose.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Representing a series of quick tapping sounds."
      ],
      "id": "en-pit-a-pat-en-intj-y-d~50Lm",
      "links": [
        [
          "tapping",
          "tapping#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pit a pat"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pitapat"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pit-pat"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pitpat"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pitter-pat"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pitterpat"
    }
  ],
  "word": "pit-a-pat"
}

{
  "etymology_text": "Imitative.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "pit-a-pats",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "pit-a-patting",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "pit-a-patted",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "pit-a-patted",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "++"
      },
      "expansion": "pit-a-pat (third-person singular simple present pit-a-pats, present participle pit-a-patting, simple past and past participle pit-a-patted)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "To make a series of quick tapping sounds; to palpitate"
      ],
      "id": "en-pit-a-pat-en-verb-R1Q4wnIT",
      "links": [
        [
          "tapping",
          "tapping"
        ],
        [
          "palpitate",
          "palpitate"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pit a pat"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pitapat"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pit-pat"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pitpat"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pitter-pat"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pitterpat"
    }
  ],
  "word": "pit-a-pat"
}

{
  "etymology_text": "Imitative.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "pit-a-pats",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "pit-a-pat (plural pit-a-pats)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A series of quick tapping sounds"
      ],
      "id": "en-pit-a-pat-en-noun-KK7V5VE6"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pit a pat"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pitapat"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pit-pat"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pitpat"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pitter-pat"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pitterpat"
    }
  ],
  "word": "pit-a-pat"
}

{
  "etymology_text": "Imitative.",
  "head_templates": [
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      "args": {
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      },
      "expansion": "pit-a-pat (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adv"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adv",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1842–1845, Robert Browning, “[Dramatic Romances and Lyrics.] The Pied Piper of Hamelin; a Child’s Story. […].”, in Poems […], new edition, volume II, London: Chapman & Hall, […], published 1849, →OCLC, stanza IV, page 308:",
          "text": "“Only a scraping of shoes on the mat? / “Anything like the sound of a rat / “Makes my heart go pit-a-pat!”",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "With a quick tapping sound"
      ],
      "id": "en-pit-a-pat-en-adv-14-rMjnc",
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pit a pat"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pitapat"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pit-pat"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pitpat"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pitter-pat"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pitterpat"
    }
  ],
  "word": "pit-a-pat"
}

{
  "etymology_text": "Imitative.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "?"
      },
      "expansion": "pit-a-pat",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "57 13 10 10 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "61 13 10 9 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English reduplications",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "55 14 11 11 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "74 8 7 6 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1810, [anonymous] […], chapter XXVII, in Splendid Follies. A Novel, […]. Founded on Facts., volume III, London: […] J[ames] F[letcher] Hughes, […], →OCLC, page 109:",
          "text": "The chesnut ringlets were speedily twitched from the confining paper, her Sunday hat, gown, and neckerchief bustled on in a moment, and wondering what he would say, and how she should feel and behave on the trying occasion, she descended with a pit-a-pat heart, and a cheek covered with burning blushes.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1830 February 4, The Maryland Gazette, volume LXXXV, number 5, Annapolis, Md.:",
          "text": "The pit-a-pat heart of a susceptible girl of sixteen, tells her that a gentleman is a tall fellow with a fine military cap on his head; […]",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "a. 1856, Henry Anderton, “To the same [Little Hannah]”, in The Temperance and Other Poems of the Late Henry Anderton, […], Preston, Lancs: […] W. and J. Dobson, […], published 1863, page 97:",
          "text": "Dear Hannah—you learn from your aunt to conceal / The things that your parents do bid you reveal— / ’Tis true, I am Henry, and Anderton, too, / But that’s not an answer expected from you— / You, yesterday, called me a very dear name, / Which set my poor pit-a-pat heart in a flame: / Speak! am I your “uncle?” The truth I would know; / I wonder who taught you to speak to me so!",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Characterized by quick tapping sounds; palpitating."
      ],
      "id": "en-pit-a-pat-en-adj-lAUcrNk6",
      "links": [
        [
          "palpitating",
          "palpitating"
        ]
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "pitter-patter"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pit a pat"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pitapat"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pit-pat"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pitpat"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pitter-pat"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pitterpat"
    }
  ],
  "word": "pit-a-pat"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English adverbs",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English interjections",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English reduplications",
    "English uncomparable adverbs",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Imitative.",
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      "args": {},
      "expansion": "pit-a-pat",
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "intj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1900 May, Frederic Villiers, “Twenty Years on the War Path. […] VII.—“My Friend Corporal Tonbar.””, in The Canadian Magazine of Politics, Science, Art and Literature, volume XV, number 1, Toronto, Ont.: The Ontario Publishing Co., Ltd., page 40, column 2:",
          "text": "Pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, the bullets kept falling and stirring up little puffs of dust on the open ground in front of the zeriba.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "[1921], Aimee Semple McPherson, Divine Healing Sermons, [Los Angeles, Calif.], →OCLC, page thirteen:",
          "text": "“Pit-a-pat! Pit-a-pat!”—On go the thousands of feet; on to the movie and on to the dance; on to the office, the club and the bank.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2004, Julia Donaldson, “The Mouse and the Lion”, in Crazy Mayonnaisy Mum, Macmillan Children’s Books, published 2005, →ISBN, page 4:",
          "text": "Pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, / He danced on the whiskery nose.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Representing a series of quick tapping sounds."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "tapping",
          "tapping#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "pit a pat"
    },
    {
      "word": "pitapat"
    },
    {
      "word": "pit-pat"
    },
    {
      "word": "pitpat"
    },
    {
      "word": "pitter-pat"
    },
    {
      "word": "pitterpat"
    }
  ],
  "word": "pit-a-pat"
}

{
  "categories": [
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    "English adverbs",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English interjections",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English reduplications",
    "English uncomparable adverbs",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Imitative.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "pit-a-pats",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "pit-a-patting",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "pit-a-patted",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "pit-a-patted",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "++"
      },
      "expansion": "pit-a-pat (third-person singular simple present pit-a-pats, present participle pit-a-patting, simple past and past participle pit-a-patted)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "To make a series of quick tapping sounds; to palpitate"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "tapping",
          "tapping"
        ],
        [
          "palpitate",
          "palpitate"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "pit a pat"
    },
    {
      "word": "pitapat"
    },
    {
      "word": "pit-pat"
    },
    {
      "word": "pitpat"
    },
    {
      "word": "pitter-pat"
    },
    {
      "word": "pitterpat"
    }
  ],
  "word": "pit-a-pat"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English adverbs",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English interjections",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English reduplications",
    "English uncomparable adverbs",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Imitative.",
  "forms": [
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      "form": "pit-a-pats",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
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  "head_templates": [
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      "args": {},
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A series of quick tapping sounds"
      ]
    }
  ],
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    {
      "word": "pit a pat"
    },
    {
      "word": "pitapat"
    },
    {
      "word": "pit-pat"
    },
    {
      "word": "pitpat"
    },
    {
      "word": "pitter-pat"
    },
    {
      "word": "pitterpat"
    }
  ],
  "word": "pit-a-pat"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English adverbs",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English interjections",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English reduplications",
    "English uncomparable adverbs",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Imitative.",
  "head_templates": [
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adv",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1842–1845, Robert Browning, “[Dramatic Romances and Lyrics.] The Pied Piper of Hamelin; a Child’s Story. […].”, in Poems […], new edition, volume II, London: Chapman & Hall, […], published 1849, →OCLC, stanza IV, page 308:",
          "text": "“Only a scraping of shoes on the mat? / “Anything like the sound of a rat / “Makes my heart go pit-a-pat!”",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "With a quick tapping sound"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "pit a pat"
    },
    {
      "word": "pitapat"
    },
    {
      "word": "pit-pat"
    },
    {
      "word": "pitpat"
    },
    {
      "word": "pitter-pat"
    },
    {
      "word": "pitterpat"
    }
  ],
  "word": "pit-a-pat"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English adverbs",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English interjections",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English reduplications",
    "English uncomparable adverbs",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Imitative.",
  "head_templates": [
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "pitter-patter"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1810, [anonymous] […], chapter XXVII, in Splendid Follies. A Novel, […]. Founded on Facts., volume III, London: […] J[ames] F[letcher] Hughes, […], →OCLC, page 109:",
          "text": "The chesnut ringlets were speedily twitched from the confining paper, her Sunday hat, gown, and neckerchief bustled on in a moment, and wondering what he would say, and how she should feel and behave on the trying occasion, she descended with a pit-a-pat heart, and a cheek covered with burning blushes.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1830 February 4, The Maryland Gazette, volume LXXXV, number 5, Annapolis, Md.:",
          "text": "The pit-a-pat heart of a susceptible girl of sixteen, tells her that a gentleman is a tall fellow with a fine military cap on his head; […]",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "a. 1856, Henry Anderton, “To the same [Little Hannah]”, in The Temperance and Other Poems of the Late Henry Anderton, […], Preston, Lancs: […] W. and J. Dobson, […], published 1863, page 97:",
          "text": "Dear Hannah—you learn from your aunt to conceal / The things that your parents do bid you reveal— / ’Tis true, I am Henry, and Anderton, too, / But that’s not an answer expected from you— / You, yesterday, called me a very dear name, / Which set my poor pit-a-pat heart in a flame: / Speak! am I your “uncle?” The truth I would know; / I wonder who taught you to speak to me so!",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Characterized by quick tapping sounds; palpitating."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "palpitating",
          "palpitating"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "pit a pat"
    },
    {
      "word": "pitapat"
    },
    {
      "word": "pit-pat"
    },
    {
      "word": "pitpat"
    },
    {
      "word": "pitter-pat"
    },
    {
      "word": "pitterpat"
    }
  ],
  "word": "pit-a-pat"
}

Download raw JSONL data for pit-a-pat meaning in English (7.2kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-15 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (8a39820 and 4401a4c). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.