flicker

[ flik-er ]

/ ˈflɪk ər /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR flicker ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object)

to burn unsteadily; shine with a wavering light: The candle flickered in the wind and went out.

to move to and fro; vibrate; quiver: The long grasses flickered in the wind.

to flutter.

verb (used with object)

to cause to flicker.

noun

an unsteady flame or light.

a flickering movement.

a brief occurrence or appearance: a flicker of hope.

Often flickers. Slang. flick².

Ophthalmology. the visual sensation of flickering that occurs when the interval between intermittent flashes of light is too long to permit fusion.

Words nearby flicker

flichter, flick, flick knife, flick-knife, flick-pass, flicker, flickertail, flickertail state, flied, flier, flies

Origin of flicker

before 1000; Middle English flikeren (v.) Old English flicorian to flutter; cognate with Dutch flikkeren

SYNONYMS FOR flicker

1 flare, flash, gleam, shimmer.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR flicker ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM flicker

flick·er·ing·ly, adverbflick·er·y, adjectiveun·flick·er·ing, adjectiveun·flick·er·ing·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Examples from the Web for flickering

He gazed at the flowers and the flickering candles, clearly moved.
'Please Don't Die!': The Frantic Battle to Save Murdered Cops|Michael Daly|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One well-known work, “Exploded Views” (2011), features 2,880 seemingly random, flickering LED lights.
Art Goes High-Tech at These Four Innovative Exhibits|Justin Jones|May 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The best ones have a view of the murals or are near the pretty glass cabinet filled with flickering candles.
Where to Fall in Love—or Just Get Drunk—on Valentine’s Day|Condé Nast Traveler|February 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Dusty paths lined with flickering orange lanterns led us to our final camp, a slice of dramatic Arabian luxury.
On Foot in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco|Joanna Eede|January 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST

For these boys, the man leans in and shines a flickering red light in their faces.
‘Web Junkie’ Is a Harrowing Documentary on China’s Internet Addiction Rehab Clinics|Marlow Stern|January 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The flickering, blurred flames of gas-lamps seemed to be dissolving in a watery atmosphere.
The Secret Agent|Joseph Conrad
In a moment more he caught glimpses of a flickering light approaching.
Marching on Niagara|Edward Stratemeyer
The glimmering lamp overhead cast its flickering light over both of them.
A Woman's Burden|Fergus Hume
"There aren't many of the Earth-born left now," Bob Craig said to him one night as they sat in the flickering light of a stove.
Space Prison|Tom Godwin
By this time they were within a hundred yards of the flickering fires.
Wyandotte|James Fenimore Cooper

British Dictionary definitions for flickering (1 of 2)

flicker¹

/ (ˈflɪkə) /

verb

(intr) to shine with an unsteady or intermittent lighta candle flickers

(intr) to move quickly to and fro; quiver, flutter, or vibrate

(tr) to cause to flicker

noun

an unsteady or brief light or flame

a swift quivering or fluttering movement

a visual sensation, often seen in a television image, produced by periodic fluctuations in the brightness of light at a frequency below that covered by the persistence of vision

the flicker (plural) a US word for flick 2 (def. 2)

Derived forms of flicker

flickeringly, adverbflickery, adjective

Word Origin for flicker

Old English flicorian; related to Dutch flikkeren, Old Norse flökra to flutter

British Dictionary definitions for flickering (2 of 2)

flicker²

/ (ˈflɪkə) /

noun

any North American woodpecker of the genus Colaptes, esp C. auratus (yellow-shafted flicker), which has a yellow undersurface to the wings and tail

Word Origin for flicker

C19: perhaps imitative of the bird's call

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

flicker

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

noun

Words related to flicker

Words nearby flicker

Origin of flicker

SYNONYMS FOR flicker

OTHER WORDS FROM flicker

Examples from the Web for flickering

British Dictionary definitions for flickering (1 of 2)

verb

noun

Derived forms of flicker

Word Origin for flicker

British Dictionary definitions for flickering (2 of 2)

noun

Word Origin for flicker