Banter
Banter (ban"tẽr) , transitive verb
[Probably corrupted from French badiner to joke, or perh. from English bandy to beat to and fro. See Badinage, and compare Barter from Old French 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.
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.
3.
To delude or trick, -- esp. by way of jest. [Obsolete]
We diverted ourselves with bantering several poor scholars with hopes of being at least his lordship's chaplain.
4.
To challenge or defy to a match. [Colloquial Southern and Western United States]
Banter , noun
The act of bantering; joking or jesting; humorous or good-humored raillery; pleasantry.
Part banter, part affection.