flutter

[fluht-er]

verb (used without object)

1. to wave, flap, or toss about.

   Banners fluttered in the breeze.

2. to flap the wings rapidly; fly with flapping movements.

3. to move in quick, irregular motions; vibrate.

4. to beat rapidly, as the heart.

5. to be tremulous or agitated.

6. to go with irregular motions or aimless course.

   to flutter back and forth.

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to flutter; vibrate; agitate.

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

noun

1. a fluttering movement.

   He made little nervous flutters with his hands.

2. a state of nervous excitement or mental agitation.

   a flutter of anticipation.

   Synonyms: dither, stir, twitter, flurry

3. flutter kick.

4. Audio.,  a variation in pitch resulting from rapid fluctuations in the speed of a recording.

5. Chiefly British.,  a small wager or speculative investment.

flutter

/ ˈflʌtə /

verb

1. to wave or cause to wave rapidly; flap

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

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

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

5. to be or make nervous or restless

6. (intr) to move about restlessly

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

8. informal,  (tr) to wager or gamble (a small amount of money)

noun

1. a quick flapping or vibrating motion

2. a state of nervous excitement or confusion

3. excited interest; sensation; stir

4. informal,  a modest bet or wager

5. 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

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

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

8. swimming See flutter kick

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

Other Word Forms

• flutterer noun
• flutteringly adverb
• unfluttered adjective
• unfluttering adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of flutter¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English floteren, Old English floterian, frequentative of flotian “to float ”

Word History and Origins

Origin of flutter¹

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

Synonym Study

See fly ².

Example Sentences

From the pit’s edge, the edge of a hospital garment peeked out, fluttering erratically in the dusk breeze.

From Los Angeles Times

After giving a short speech of thanks, the plan was for Ozzy to throw them into the air, so everyone could watch them flutter away, in a symbolic gesture of peace.

From BBC

Like fluttering wings, his 12 elegantly splayed arms wield an array of esoteric symbols around her excited body, while her single arm raises what appears to be a ritual blade high overhead.

From Los Angeles Times

What was supposed to be down and on the outside corner instead fluttered up and above the zone.

From Los Angeles Times

And somewhere in the middle of all of that, I started to feel it — those soft, fluttering butterflies that made it hard to breathe around him.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• drift 
• flicker 
• flit 
• flop 
• hover 
• quiver 
• shiver 
• throb 
• tremble 
• vibrate 
• wiggle 
• wobble 

When To Use

What does flutter mean?

To flutter is to wave, flap, or toss, usually in reference to wings. The baby robin fluttered its wings as it prepared to fly from the nest for the first time.To flutter is to move in a quick, irregular motion or to vibrate, as when a flag flutters in a small breeze. Often, the difference between flapping and fluttering is that fluttering wings move in an irregular pattern or so fast that you cannot distinguish individual flaps.A flutter is the movement of fluttering, as in The flutter of a hummingbird’s wings is so fast that it creates a buzzing sound.A flutter is also a figurative term that describes a moment of nervousness, such as you might feel before a big exam. Some people describe it as feeling like butterflies fluttering in their stomach. A fluttering stomach is a nervous one, perhaps feeling slightly queasy. Other people describe such a feeling as a fluttering heart, particularly when they feel nervous about someone they have romantic feelings for. This, too, is figurative.In medicine, flutter is used literally to describe an irregular heartbeat, often in the term atrial flutter, which can cause irregular blood flow and different issues in the body. If your heart flutters and it’s not temporary nervousness, you should tell your doctor.Example: I always get a little flutter the night before a performance.