Other forms: chats, chatting, chatted
A chat is a written conversation happening live on a screen. Chat window, group chat, chat to somebody.
The online sense has almost overtaken the spoken one — chat now means messaging as often as talking, and a group chat is a social unit with its own rules. In customer service, chat support handles most first contact. Note chatty, chatter; and that the word is a shortening of chatter, which is imitative of the sound of quick talk.
1nounchatA written conversation happening live on a screen.
“If your order hasn't arrived, you can ask about it in the chat on our website.”
2verbtalkTo talk in a friendly informal way.
“We chatted over coffee about our holiday plans.”
Too few real examples of this word to estimate which sense is commonest.
chat is a light conversation.
Chat is a clipping of chatter, which imitates the sound of quick talk. The bird called a chat is named from its call.
Clipping of chatter. a clipping of chatter. The bird sense refers to the sound of its call.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA