A chatterbox is someone who talks constantly, often about anything and everything that comes to mind. Picture that friend who never seems to run out of things to say, who fills every quiet moment with words, who can turn a five-minute story into a twenty-minute adventure. That's a chatterbox.

The word isn't usually meant as a serious insult, though it does suggest the person talks more than others might prefer. A teacher might gently call a student a chatterbox when they won't stop talking during quiet work time. A parent might affectionately describe their talkative child as a real chatterbox after listening to a long report about everything that happened at school.

The “box” part of the word makes it sound almost mechanical, like a music box that plays on and on once you wind it up. Some people are naturally more talkative than others, and being a chatterbox isn't necessarily bad. Conversations work best when everyone gets a chance to speak, and listening is just as important as talking.