ENGLISH
REFERENCE

chat

n. C / U
A2 Elementary Oxford US //ˈtʃæt// UK //tʃˈæt// chat Dialect General-service Humorous Informal Slang

n. a friendly, informal conversation. You use this when you talk to someone in a relaxed way, either in person or by sending messages online.

n. an informal, light-hearted conversation. Often used to describe digital text-based communication in real-time environments.


SIMPLE

We had a quick chat about our weekend plans.

CONTEXTUAL

I stayed after the meeting for a brief chat with my manager to clarify a few small details.

COMPLEX

While formal negotiations were scheduled for the afternoon, the most significant progress occurred during an informal chat over coffee in the lobby.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

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

Etymology 2

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

Etymology 3

Unknown.

Etymology 4

From thieves' cant.

Usage

Often used with the verbs 'have' or 'go for'. When referring to the technology or the act of messaging, it is frequently uncountable.

Pitfall

I had a chat to himI had a chat with himWhile 'to' is sometimes heard in British English, 'with' is the standard preposition used after the noun 'chat' to indicate the person spoken to.

Idioms4 entries

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