3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Banter  \Ban"ter\,  n. 
  The  act  of  bantering;  joking  or  jesting;  humorous  or 
  good-humored  raillery;  pleasantry. 
 
  Part  banter,  part  affection.  --Tennyson. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Banter  \Ban"ter\,  v.  t.  [  imp.  &  p.  p.  {Bantered}(?);  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.] 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  banter 
  n  :  light  teasing  repartee  [syn:  {raillery},  {give-and-take},  {backchat}] 
  v  :  be  silly  or  tease  one  another;  "After  we  relaxed,  we  just 
  kidded  around"  [syn:  {kid},  {chaff},  {jolly}] 

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