Chat, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Chatted; p. pr. & vb. n. Chatting.]
Etymology: [From Chatter. *22.]
To talk in a light and familiar manner; to converse without form or ceremony; to gossip. Shak. To chat a while on their adventures. Dryden.
Syn. -- To talk; chatter; gossip; converse.
3 other Webster entries under this spelling
Chat, v. t.
To talk of. [Obs.]
Chat, n.
1. Light, familiar talk; conversation; gossip. Snuff, or fan, supply each pause of chat, With singing, laughing, ogling, and all that. Pope.
2. (Zoöl.)
A bird of the genus Icteria, allied to the warblers, in America. The best known species are the yelow-breasted chat (I. viridis), and the long chat (I. longicauda). In Europe the name is given to several birds of the family Saxicolidæ, as the stonechat, and whinchat. Bush chat. (Zoöl.) See under Bush.
Chat, n.
1. A twig, cone, or little branch. See Chit.
2. pl. (Mining)
Small stones with ore. Chat potatoes, small potatoes, such as are given to swine. [Local.]
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for chat; he lists it under babble, conversation, speak.
Where he writes about it:
To chat is to talk in an easy, pleasant way, not without sense, but without special purpose. — from babble
To chat is ordinarily to utter in a familiar, conversational way; to chatter is to talk in an empty, ceaseless way like a magpie. — from speak