Also 4 tater. [app. a back-formation from TATTERED.] trans. To tear or reduce to tatters; to make ragged; to tear in pieces, mangle. Also fig. To tatter a kip (slang): see KIP sb.3 1.
(The ppl. adj. tattered and vbl. sb. tattering are known before the simple vb.)
[c. 1380: see tattering vbl. sb. below.]
c. 1440. York Myst., xlvi. 44. (of Christ scourged and crowned with thorns) Ilk tag of þat turtill so tatterid and torne es.]
1608. Sylvester, Du Bartas, I. iv. V. Decay, 342. A Lion, that hath tatterd heer A goodly Heifer, there a lusty Steer.
1652. [F. Osborne], A Perswasive to Compliance, 6. A Nation so exhausted and tattered by divisions.
1766. Goldsm., Vic. W., xx. To assist at tattering a kip, as the phrase was, when we had a mind for a frolic.
1837. C. Lofft, Self-formation, I. 34. I tattered some good poetry to rags, expressly for her gratification.
a. 1845. Hood, Forge, II. xvi. Shrieking for flesh to tear and tatter.
b. intr. To be or become tattered. rare.
1595. [see tattering ppl. adj. below].
Hence Tattering vbl. sb.1 (in quot. c. 1380, slashing of garments) and ppl. a.1
c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., III. 124. Men deformen hor body by hor foule atyre … and tatering of clothes.
a. 1580. Jefferie, Bugbears, Epil., Song ii., in Archiv Stud. Neu. Spr. (1897). With battrynges, with plattrynges, with tattrynges.
1595. Shaks., John, V. v. 7. After such bloody toile, we bid good night, And woon’d our tott’ring colours clearly vp, Last in the field, and almost Lords of it.
