pit-a-pat

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   Representing a series of quick tapping sounds.

   • 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.
   • “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.
   • Pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, / He danced on the whiskery nose.
2. 2

   To make a series of quick tapping sounds

   To make a series of quick tapping sounds; to palpitate

3. 3

   A series of quick tapping sounds

4. ›+ 2 more definitionsshow fewer

   1. 4

      With a quick tapping sound

      • “Only a scraping of shoes on the mat? / “Anything like the sound of a rat / “Makes my heart go pit-a-pat!”
   2. 5

      Characterized by quick tapping sounds

      Characterized by quick tapping sounds; palpitating.

      • 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; […]

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