flut·ter  (flŭt'ər) 
v.
flut·tered, flut·ter·ing, flut·ters
v.
intr.
To wave or flap rapidly in an irregular manner: curtains that fluttered in the breeze. To fly by a quick light flapping of the wings. To flap the wings without flying.
To move or fall in a manner suggestive of tremulous flight: "Her arms rose, fell, and fluttered with the rhythm of the song" (Evelyn Waugh). To vibrate or beat rapidly or erratically: My heart fluttered wildly. To move quickly in a nervous, restless, or excited fashion; flit.
v.
tr.
To cause to flutter: "fluttering her bristly black lashes as swiftly as butterflies' wings" (Margaret Mitchell).
n. The act of fluttering. A condition of nervous excitement or agitation: Everyone was in a flutter over the news that the director was resigning. A commotion; a stir. Pathology Abnormally rapid pulsation, especially of the atria or ventricles of the heart. Rapid fluctuation in the pitch of a sound reproduction resulting from variations in the speed of the recording or reproducing equipment. Chiefly British A small bet; a gamble: "If they like a flutter, Rick will get them better odds than the bookies" (John le Carré).
[Middle English floteren, from Old English floterian; see pleu- in Indo-European roots.]
flut'ter·er n., flut'ter·y adj. |
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