A chat is a casual conversation. The term has come to be associated mostly with online chat services or computer programs to access same, including telephone services (where the program is on a voice mail server).

Among computer users, 'chat' means especially multi-person "chat room" facilities. Also, today the most popular means of chatting online are instant messaging applications. Most of these support email communication and deferred delivery of messages. Some also support voice and video chat.

A chatbot or chatterbot is an Artificial Intelligence program that chats, simulating human conversation as closely as possible, often with humorous results.

Chat can also refer to refuse (small rocks, possibly containing ore) from mining. Chat can be piled up into giant mounds that look like sand dunes, called "chat dumps", however the chat is much more coarse than sand.

External links

• CHAT (http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Archaeology/events/chat.html) is also the acronym for the British-based Contemporary and Historical Archaeology in Theory Conference Group
• CHAT DUMP (http://www.mrsmcgowan.com/mytown23.htm) in Park Hills, Missouri, USA.
• Pictari.com - chat room & friend finder (http://www.pictari.com/)