From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Banter \Ban"ter\ (b[a^]n"t[~e]r), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Bantered}
(b[a^]n"t[~e]rd); 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.]
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
Hag-ridden by my own fancy all night, and then
bantered on my haggard looks the next day. --W.
Irving.
[1913 Webster]
2. To jest about; to ridicule in speaking of, as some trait,
habit, characteristic, and the like. [Archaic]
[1913 Webster]
If they banter your regularity, order, and love of
study, banter in return their neglect of them.
--Chatham.
[1913 Webster]
3. To delude or trick, -- esp. by way of jest. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
We diverted ourselves with bantering several poor
scholars with hopes of being at least his lordship's
chaplain. --De Foe.
[1913 Webster]
4. To challenge or defy to a match. [Colloq. Southern and
Western U. S.]
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
bantering
adj 1: cleverly amusing in tone; "a bantering tone"; "facetious
remarks"; "tongue-in-cheek advice" [syn: {bantering},
{facetious}, {tongue-in-cheek}]
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