Tiptoe to find dish left out (6)

I believe the answer is:

patter

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'tiptoe' is the definition.
(thesaurus)

I don't understand how the remainder of the clue works.

(Other definitions for patter that I've seen before include "Comedian's, salesman's, talk" , "See 1" , "Sound of quick light taps, rain or little feet" , "Salesman's persuasive talk" , "Line of gab" .)

I've seen this clue in The Daily Express.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.