Pitapat

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The gentle noise made by rapid, soft, and repeated tapping or beating
2. A series of quick, light strokes heard as a rhythmic, pulsing sound
3. The repeated light tapping or beating noise, often evoking a fluttering or heartbeat-like rhythm

Etymology: "Pitapat" is an imitative word, meaning it was formed to copy the sound it describes, in this case the quick, light tapping of something small striking a surface, like a heartbeat or raindrops on a window. Its pattern of a short vowel, a sharp consonant, and a repeated syllable is one English speakers have used for many such sounds, and the form "pit-a-pat" with hyphens is the older spelling that the closed form later followed. The word is best understood through its sound rather than through any borrowed ancestor. Imitative words often arise independently in many languages, which is why similar-sounding words for tapping and patting appear across tongues. Here the rhythm of the two beats does the work: the first syllable is quick and crisp, the second softer, and together they mimic the back-and-forth of rapid tapping. Because the word is imitative, its meaning has remained stable: it still describes a light, rapid, repeated tap, most often used figuratively for a racing heart.

Synonyms: pitter-patter, tapping