flutter

[ fluht-er ]

/ ˈflʌt ər /

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verb (used without object)

to wave, flap, or toss about: Banners fluttered in the breeze.

to flap the wings rapidly; fly with flapping movements.

to move in quick, irregular motions; vibrate.

to beat rapidly, as the heart.

to be tremulous or agitated.

to go with irregular motions or aimless course: to flutter back and forth.

verb (used with object)

to cause to flutter; vibrate; agitate.

to throw into nervous or tremulous excitement; cause mental agitation; confuse.

noun

a fluttering movement: He made little nervous flutters with his hands.

a state of nervous excitement or mental agitation: a flutter of anticipation.

flutter kick.

Audio. a variation in pitch resulting from rapid fluctuations in the speed of a recording.Compare wow²(def 1).

Chiefly British. a small wager or speculative investment.

Nearby words

Origin of flutter

before 1000; Middle English floteren, Old English floterian, frequentative of flotian to float

SYNONYMS FOR flutter

2 See fly¹.

10 flurry, twitter, stir, dither.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR flutter ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsflut·ter·er, nounflut·ter·ing·ly, adverbun·flut·tered, adjectiveun·flut·ter·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for flutter

There are ghosts that may flutter above the stage at the Met.
When Stalin Met Lady Macbeth|Brian Moynahan|November 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It started off small: a hint of annoyance here, a flutter of incredulity there.
Just Kill Mr. Bates Already! How to Save ‘Downton Abbey’|Andrew Romano|February 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There are no red carpets and you just flutter about watching films.
Carey Mulligan, Star of ‘Inside Llewyn Davis,’ on the Coen Brothers, ‘N Sync Fandom, Lorde, and More|Marlow Stern|December 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Just as suddenly she was gone, leaving a flutter of red curtains.
Nepal Old and New: Kathmandu Valley’s Royal Cities Get a Facelift|Condé Nast Traveler|August 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST

And, oh, occasionally, the golden snitch—a flying spherical ball—will flutter into the proceedings, creating chaos.
From J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter Novels to Real Life: The Sport of Quidditch Takes Flight|Jace Lacob|March 14, 2012|DAILY BEAST
He heard the flutter of skirts—just caught the grey stockings, swift and light, as they flew behind the rhododendron masses.
Day and Night Stories|Algernon Blackwood
No one else leant over her, and whispered soothing words to her, or was near enough to hear the flutter of her beating heart.
Dombey and Son|Charles Dickens
After that uneasy rustle and flutter, a silence equally uneasy fell upon the assembly.
Madonna Mary|Mrs. Oliphant
It meant a flutter of raiment, a deliberation of readjustment, a kind of superb, massive dislocation.
The Adventures of a Widow|Edgar Fawcett
The flutter of a single flag may set us off on a new course at any minute of the day.
Merchantmen-at-Arms|David W. Bone

British Dictionary definitions for flutter

flutter

/ (ˈflʌtə) /

verb

to wave or cause to wave rapidly; flap

(intr) (of birds, butterflies, etc) to flap the wings

(intr) to move, esp downwards, with an irregular motion

(intr) pathol (of the auricles of the heart) to beat abnormally rapidly, esp in a regular rhythm

to be or make nervous or restless

(intr) to move about restlessly

swimming to cause (the legs) to move up and down in a flutter kick or (of the legs) to move in this way

(tr) British informal to wager or gamble (a small amount of money)

noun

a quick flapping or vibrating motion

a state of nervous excitement or confusion

excited interest; sensation; stir

British informal a modest bet or wager

pathol an abnormally rapid beating of the auricles of the heart (200 to 400 beats per minute), esp in a regular rhythm, sometimes resulting in heart block

electronics a slow variation in pitch in a sound-reproducing system, similar to wow but occurring at higher frequencies

a potentially dangerous oscillation of an aircraft, or part of an aircraft, caused by the interaction of aerodynamic forces, structural elastic reactions, and inertia

swimming See flutter kick

Also called: flutter tonguing music a method of sounding a wind instrument, esp the flute, with a rolling movement of the tongue

Derived Formsflutterer, nounflutteringly, adverb

Word Origin for flutter

Old English floterian to float to and fro; related to German flattern; see float

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

Word Origin and History for flutter

flutter

Old English floterian "to flutter, fly, flicker, float to and fro, be tossed by waves," frequentative of flotian "to float" (see float (v.)). Related: Fluttered; fluttering. As a noun from 1640s; meaning "state of excitement" is 1740s.

flutter

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

noun

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Nearby words

Origin of flutter

Examples from the Web for flutter

British Dictionary definitions for flutter

flutter

verb

noun

Word Origin for flutter

Word Origin and History for flutter

flutter

Medicine definitions for flutter

flutter

n.