chitter

American

[chit-er] / ˈtʃɪt ər /

verb (used without object)

to twitter.

chitter British

/ ˈtʃɪtə /

verb

to twitter or chirp
a dialect word for shiver 1 chatter

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of chitter

1350–1400; Middle English che ( a ) teren, chiteren, variant of chateren to chatter

Vocabulary lists containing chitter

"Terrible Things"

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"The Baby-Sitter" and "Beware: Do Not Read This Poem"

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Hang Time” begins with a visual declaration of horror but, amid its chitter and chatter, never seems to finish the conversation.

From New York Times • Mar. 21, 2023

Talk of either team winning the title is hyperbole but great for North London chitter chatter and the prospect of thrilling derby when the teams meet for the first time next month.

From BBC • Sep. 4, 2022

Its handful of houses hide behind a dune covered with morning glories and pandanus trees, the chitter of cicadas interrupted only by the cadence of waves and the call of an azure-winged jay.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 13, 2021

“This is how it was … now … this is how it is!” the Wizard could chitter and howl as he forged the New Flesh with his magic wand and scissors.

From Slate • Jul. 29, 2021

Pet made a pleased chitter in its chest, its fur ruffling like grass in wind, but Jam was still worried.

From "Pet" by Akwaeke Emezi

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023