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Webster 1913 Edition

Banter

Ban′ter

(băn′tẽr)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Bantered
(băn′tẽrd)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Bantering
.]
[Prob. corrupted fr. F.
badiner
to joke, or perh. fr. E.
bandy
to beat to and fro. See
Badinage
, and cf.
Barter
fr. OF.
barater
.]
1.
To address playful good-natured ridicule to, – the person addressed, or something pertaining to him, being the subject of the jesting; to rally;
as, he
bantered
me about my credulity
.
Hag-ridden by my own fancy all night, and then
bantered
on my haggard looks the next day.
W. Irving.
2.
To jest about; to ridicule in speaking of, as some trait, habit, characteristic, and the like.
[Archaic]
If they
banter
your regularity, order, and love of study,
banter
in return their neglect of them.
Chatham.
3.
To delude or trick, – esp. by way of jest.
[Obs.]
We diverted ourselves with
bantering
several poor scholars with hopes of being at least his lordship’s chaplain.
De Foe.
4.
To challenge or defy to a match.
[Colloq. Southern and Western U. S.]

Ban′ter

,
Noun.
The act of bantering; joking or jesting; humorous or good-humored raillery; pleasantry.
Part
banter
, part affection.
Tennyson.

Webster 1828 Edition

Banter

BAN'TER

,
Verb.
T.
[Gr. to mock, or deride.] To play upon in words and in good humor; to rally; to joke, or jest with. Banter hardly amounts to ridicule, much less to derision. It consists in being pleasant and witty with the actions of another, and raising a humorous laugh at his expense, often attended with some degree of sarcasm.

BAN'TER

,
Noun.
A joking or jesting; raillery; wit or humor; pleasantry.

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