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jitter

[jit-er]
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noun
  1. jitters, nervousness; a feeling of fright or uneasiness (usually preceded by the): Every time I have to make a speech, I get the jitters.
  2. 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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verb (used without object)
  1. to behave nervously.
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Origin of jitter

1920–25; variant of chitter to shiver (Middle English chiteren), gradational variant of chatter
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for jittering

Historical Examples

  • Don Loris, jittering, shivered next to Hoddan's grandfather.

    The Pirates of Ersatz

    Murray Leinster

  • "Nobody's said a word about it," said the Citizen's Representative, jittering.

    The Pirates of Ersatz

    Murray Leinster

  • Josip's hands were jittering so he jammed them into his pockets.

    Expediter

    Dallas McCord Reynolds

  • It took a few moments to steady her jittering thoughts enough to gain a more definite impression than that.

    Novice

    James H. Schmitz

  • Don Loris, jittering, displayed a sort of professional conversational charm.

    The Pirates of Ersatz

    Murray Leinster

British Dictionary definitions for jittering

jitter

verb
  1. (intr) to be anxious or nervous
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noun
  1. the jitters nervousness and anxiety
  2. 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