chatterbox
/'tʃætəbɔks/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: 1. A person who talks excessively, especially about trivial matters: A chatterbox is someone who talks continuously and often annoyingly, without saying much of importance. 2. (Botany) A type of orchid: A specific orchid (Epipactis gigantea) found in western North America, growing near water and characterized by its distinctive flowers.
Examples
- Person:
- My little sister is a real chatterbox; she talks from the moment she wakes up.
- The meeting was delayed because the chatterbox in the front row wouldn't stop asking off-topic questions.
- Plant:
- We spotted a rare chatterbox orchid growing by the stream.
- The chatterbox is known for its ability to thrive in wet soil.
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used in a mildly critical or affectionate way to describe someone, especially a child, who talks a lot. It implies the speech is constant and perhaps not very consequential.
- In botanical contexts, "chatterbox" is a common name for the orchid, also known as the "stream orchid" or "giant helleborine."
Variants and Related Words
- Chatter (verb/noun): To talk rapidly or incessantly about trivial matters; rapid, continuous talk.
- The chatter of the birds filled the garden.
- Chatty (adjective): Fond of chatting; talkative.
- She's in a chatty mood today.
Synonyms
- For a person: Talker, windbag, motormouth, blabbermouth, gossip.
- For the plant: Stream orchid, giant helleborine ().
Idioms and Phrases
- To have the gift of the gab: To be able to speak easily and persuasively. (This is similar but more positive than "chatterbox," which implies less control.)
- A good salesperson needs to have the gift of the gab.
Noun
- an obnoxious and foolish and loquacious talker
- orchid growing along streams or ponds of western North America having leafy stems and 1 greenish-brown and pinkish flower in the axil of each upper leaf