jitter
[jit-er]
- jitters, nervousness; a feeling of fright or uneasiness (usually preceded by the): Every time I have to make a speech, I get the jitters.
- fluctuations in the image on a television screen or in copy received by facsimile transmission, caused by interference or by momentary failures of synchronization.
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- to behave nervously.
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Origin of jitter
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
throb, pulsate, shudder, shiver, convulse, tremble, gyrate, quiver, wobble, flutter, fret, squirm, twiddle, jiggle, twitch, quail, totter, twitter, move, jarExamples from the Web for jittering
Historical Examples
"Nobody's said a word about it," said the Citizen's Representative, jittering.
The Pirates of ErsatzMurray Leinster
Don Loris, jittering, shivered next to Hoddan's grandfather.
The Pirates of ErsatzMurray Leinster
Josip's hands were jittering so he jammed them into his pockets.
ExpediterDallas McCord Reynolds
It took a few moments to steady her jittering thoughts enough to gain a more definite impression than that.
NoviceJames H. Schmitz
Don Loris, jittering, displayed a sort of professional conversational charm.
The Pirates of ErsatzMurray Leinster
jitter
- (intr) to be anxious or nervous
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- the jitters nervousness and anxiety
- electronics small rapid variations in the amplitude or timing of a waveform arising from fluctuations in the voltage supply, mechanical vibrations, etc
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Word Origin
C20: of unknown origin
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 jittering
jitter
v.
"to move agitatedly," 1931, American English; see jitters. Related: Jittered; jittering.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper