jitterbug

[jit-er-buhg]

See more synonyms for jitterbug on Thesaurus.com

noun

a strenuously acrobatic dance consisting of a few standardized steps augmented by twirls, splits, somersaults, etc., popular especially in the early 1940s and performed chiefly to boogie-woogie and swing.
a person who dances the jitterbug.

verb (used without object), jit·ter·bugged, jit·ter·bug·ging.

to dance the jitterbug.

Origin of jitterbug

An Americanism dating back to 1930–35; jitter + bug¹

Related formsjit·ter·bug·ger, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for jitterbug

disco, waltz, rock, samba, tango, tap, skip, jump, shimmy, trip, caper, jig, leap, hop, frolic, sway, cavort, hustle, whirl, strut

Examples from the Web for jitterbug

Contemporary Examples of jitterbug

Instead of our sixth iPhone we suddenly start thinking about our first Jitterbug.
Christmas Is the New Subprime
Doug McIntyre
December 9, 2014
He was a seemingly stoned zombie and she did the jitterbug the entire show (no, not really).
John Travolta Butchers Idina Menzel’s Name and More Presenter Screw Ups
Marina Watts
March 3, 2014
The family had not been allowed to take their dog, but Patsy had been able to bring her jitterbug trophy.
Pearl Harbor’s Anniversary Sparks Memories of a Long-Ago Dance Contest
Michael Daly
December 7, 2012
The ranger took her to the curator, who searched the archives for anything regarding the jitterbug contest.
Pearl Harbor’s Anniversary Sparks Memories of a Long-Ago Dance Contest
Michael Daly
December 7, 2012
Somewhere in that expanse of California sky, I know Edith Jefferson will be doing the jitterbug.
David Jefferson on His Four Gay Marriages and a Legal Victory Against Prop 8
David Jefferson
February 7, 2012

British Dictionary definitions for jitterbug

jitterbug

noun

a fast jerky American dance, usually to a jazz accompaniment, that was popular in the 1940s
a person who dances the jitterbug
a highly nervous or excitable person

verb -bugs, -bugging or -bugged

(intr) to perform such a dance

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 jitterbug

popular type of fast swing dance, 1938, American English, from "Jitter Bug," title of a song recorded by Cab Calloway in 1934. Probably the literal sense is "one who has the jitters" (see jitters; also cf. bug (n.)). Another sense current about this time was "swing music enthusiast." As a verb from 1938.