different between banter vs banters

English

Etymology

1670s as verb, 1680s as noun. The origin is unknown, possibly from London street slang; ostensibly as *bant + -er (frequentative). Possibly an Anglo-Gaelicism from the Irish bean (“woman”), so that "banter" means "talk of women."

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?bænt?/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?bænt?/
• Rhymes: -ænt?(?)

Noun

banter (uncountable)

1. Sharp, good-humoured, playful, typically spontaneous conversation.

   Synonyms: pleasantry, raillery

Translations

Verb

banter (third-person singular simple present banters, present participle bantering, simple past and past participle bantered)

1. (intransitive) To engage in banter or playful conversation.
2. (intransitive) To play or do something amusing.
3. (transitive) To tease (someone) mildly.

   Synonyms: kid, wind up
4. (transitive) To joke about; to ridicule (a trait, habit, etc.).
   • June 1804, William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham

     If they banter your regularity, order, and love of study, banter in return their neglect of them.

5. (transitive) To delude or trick; to play a prank upon.
6. (transitive, US, Southern and Western, colloquial) To challenge to a match.

Translations

Derived terms

• bant

References

Further reading

• Michael Quinion (1996–2021) , “Banter”, in World Wide Words

Anagrams

• Barnet, Bernat, barnet

English

Verb

banters

1. Third-person singular simple present indicative form of banter

Anagrams

• Barents, Bernats, barnets