prates

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Construprated; p. p. & vb. n. Constuprating. ] [ L. constupratus, p. p. of constuprare to ravish; con- + stuprare to ravish, stuprum rape. ] To ravish; to debauch. Burton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of ravishing; violation; defilement. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Dandy + brat child. ] 1. A little fellow; -- in sport or contempt. “A dandiprat hop-thumb.” Stanyhurst. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A small coin. [ 1913 Webster ]

Henry VII. stamped a small coin called dandiprats. Camden. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Prated; p. pr. & vb. n. Prating. ] [ Akin to LG. & D. praten, Dan. prate, Sw. & Icel. prata. ] To talk much and to little purpose; to be loquacious; to speak foolishly; to babble. [ 1913 Webster ]

To prate and talk for life and honor. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

And make a fool presume to prate of love. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To utter foolishly; to speak without reason or purpose; to chatter, or babble. [ 1913 Webster ]

What nonsense would the fool, thy master, prate,
When thou, his knave, canst talk at such a rate ! Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Akin to LG. & D. praat, Sw. prat. ] Talk to little purpose; trifling talk; unmeaning loquacity. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sick of tops, and poetry, and prate. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Talkative. [ R. ] W. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who prates. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Pratique. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) Any bird of the Old World genus Glareola, or family Glareolidæ, allied to the plovers. They have long, pointed wings and a forked tail. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. With idle talk; with loquacity. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F.; cf. It. pratica, Sp. practica. See Practice. ] 1. (Com.) Primarily, liberty of converse; intercourse; hence, a certificate, given after compliance with quarantine regulations, permitting a ship to land passengers and crew; -- a term used particularly in the south of Europe. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Practice; habits. [ Obs. ] “One of English education and pratique.” R. North. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Prattled p. pr. & vb. n. Prattling ] [ Freq. of prate. ] To talk much and idly; to prate; hence, to talk lightly and artlessly, like a child; to utter child's talk. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To utter as prattle; to babble; as, to prattle treason. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Trifling or childish tattle; empty talk; loquacity on trivial subjects; prate; babble. [ 1913 Webster ]

Mere prattle, without practice. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Prattle. [ R. ] Jeffrey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who prattles. Herbert. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Prattle. ] Empty talk; trifling loquacity; prattle; -- used in contempt or ridicule. [ Colloq. ] Abp. Bramhall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. sprot, sprotte, D. sprot; akin to G. sprotte. ] (Zool.) (a) A small European herring (Clupea sprattus) closely allied to the common herring and the pilchard; -- called also garvie. The name is also applied to small herring of different kinds. (b) A California surf-fish (Rhacochilus toxotes); -- called also alfione, and perch. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sprat borer (Zool.), the red-throated diver; -- so called from its fondness for sprats. See Diver. --
Sprat loon. (Zool.) (a) The young of the great northern diver. [ Prov. Eng. ] (b) The red-throated diver. See Diver. --
Sprat mew (Zool.), the kittiwake gull. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. stupratus, p. p. of stuprare to ravish, fr. stuprum defilement. ] To ravish; to debauch. [ R. ] Heywood. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Violation of chastity by force; rape. [ R. ] Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Anat.) Situated above the temporal bone or temporal fossa. -- n. A supratemporal bone. [ 1913 Webster ]