banter

noun

1. (uncountable)Sharp, good-humoured, playful, typically spontaneous conversation.

   “I was elected to the Executive Committee of the Vegetarian Society, and made it a point to attend every one of its meetings, but I always felt tongue-tied. Dr. Oldfield once said to me, 'You talk to me quite all right, but why is it that you never open your lips at a committee meeting? You are a drone.' I appreciated the banter. The bees are ever busy, the drone is a thorough idler.”

   “This bullying continuum illustrates the progressive escalation from harmless banter to bullying and criminal behaviours.”

2. (uncountable)Good-humoured bits of monologue and/or conversational prompts used in any of a wide range of occupations that must frequently interact with the public (for example, store clerks, salespersons, nurses).

verb

1. (intransitive)To engage in banter or playful conversation.
2. (intransitive)To play or do something amusing.
3. (transitive)To tease (someone) mildly.

   “Here comes the muſty trader, running over vvith remonſtrances. I muſt banter the cit.”

   “Hag-ridden by my own fancy all night, and then bantered on my haggard looks the next day.”

   “Mr. Sweeting was bantered about his stature, he was a little man, a mere boy in height and breadth compared with the athletic Malone, […]”

4. (transitive)To joke about; to ridicule (a trait, habit, etc.).

   “June 1804, William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham If they banter your regularity, order, and love of study, banter in return their neglect of them.”

5. (transitive)To delude or trick; to play a prank upon.

   “[W]e diverted ourſelves vvith bantering ſeveral other poor Scholars, vvith hopes of being at leaſt his Lordſhip's Chaplains and putting on a Scarf; […]”

6. (Southern, US, Western, colloquial, transitive)To challenge to a match.
7. (UK, dialectal)To haggle; cheapen the price.