flutter

verb

1. 1

   To flap or wave quickly but irregularly.

   flags fluttering in the wind

   Long after his cigar burnt bitter, he sat with eyes fixed on the blaze. When the flames at last began to flicker and subside, his lids fluttered, then drooped ; but he had lost all reckoning of time when he opened them again to find Miss Erroll in furs and ball-gown kneeling on the hearth and heaping kindling on the coals, [...]

2. 2

   Of a winged animal: to flap the wings without flying; to fly with a light flapping of the wings.

   Banks of gorgeous flowers were on every hand, and birds with rare and brilliant plumage sang and fluttered in the trees and bushes.

3. 3

   To undergo divergent oscillations (potentially to the point of causing structural failure) due to a positive feedback loop between elastic deformation and aerodynamic forces.

4. 4

   To cause something to flap.

   A bird flutters its wings.

5. 5

   To drive into disorder; to throw into confusion.

   If you haue vvrit your Annales true, 'tis there, / That like an Eagle in a Doue-cote, I / Flatter'd^([sic – meaning Flutter'd]) your Volcians in Corioles.

   There was a clearness of expression in this, and a downright surrender of himself, which so flattered her and so fluttered her that she was almost reduced to the giving of herself up because she could not reply to such an appeal in language less courteous than that of agreement

6. 6

   To be in a state of agitation or uncertainty.

   It was fluttering with nervousness like a human heart. He was all in a sweat with fear, and—do you know, I don't believe the rascal is a Robot at all any longer.

7. 7

   obsoleteTo be frivolous.

8. 8

   slangTo subject to a lie detector test.

   This was the first time that Nosenko had been subjected to a lie detector — or what the CIA called fluttering. The Soviet Union did not use such devices for interrogation.

   "Anyway, she cracked and we fluttered her and—" / "Fluttered her?" / "Sorry, gave her a polygraph, a lie detector test. And she passed, more or less, […]

noun

1. 1

   The act of fluttering, or multiple acts thereof; the back-and-forth motion of fluttering; a state of fluttering.

   The eagle soared across the horizon with just a few slow flutters of its wings. The flutter of insects and bats is more rapid. Some birds also use non-flight flutters as communication and in thermoregulation.

   Fish move using a flutter of their body to propel themselves through the water. Some also derive propulsion or maneuverability from their fins' flutter.

   Some turtles use their claw flutter as a means of communication, particularly in mating.

   In the jungle the day is the time of bird song, nest building, the hum of insects, the flutter of butterflies. The night is the time of stealthy prowling, of lightning attack, of fear, of death.

2. 2

   The act of fluttering, or multiple acts thereof; the back-and-forth motion of fluttering; a state of fluttering. The collective flutter of many similar objects.

   leaf flutter; feather flutter

   The flutter of the flock buffeted me.

   Was it the flutter of fairy beings around the form of a lovely maiden? Their very flutter was in antithetical beats.

   Here, in the summer evenings, the whole air is in motion with the flutter of fans.

3. 3

   The act of fluttering, or multiple acts thereof; the back-and-forth motion of fluttering; a state of fluttering. A flapping, crackling or rustling sound, as from a fluttering motion or any comparable sound; any series of quick repetitive sounds.

   I eventually found the source of the flutter, which came from clothes on a clothesline swaying with the wind.

   I find the flutter of a campfire to be soothing like a lullaby.

   The wind causes a flutter in the barley in the field.

   She produced a loaded keyring and, with a flutter of keys, found the right one to unlock the door.

4. 4

   figurativeThe act of fluttering, or multiple acts thereof; the back-and-forth motion of fluttering; a state of fluttering. A flapping, crackling or rustling sound, as from a fluttering motion or any comparable sound; any series of quick repetitive sounds. A sound that spreads in the manner of a wave or ripple.

   A flutter of gasps spread over the crowd.

   In all the flutter of peace talk, a public desire to be done with war, and a readiness to compromise through mediation, was revealed.

   He was greeted with flutters and exclamations from the "How interesting!" females, hailed by the Grand Lodge of Scotland as "Caledonia's Bard," and in short was marvelled at everywhere.

   There was a flutter of applause from the audience but, appreciatively, it quickly hushed itself.

5. 5

   The act of fluttering, or multiple acts thereof; the back-and-forth motion of fluttering; a state of fluttering. The rapid up-and-down movement of the eyelids, and consequently eyelashes, often seen as intentionally flirtatious or alluring and often attributed to the eyes or eyebrows.

   He couldn't help but feel more attracted to her with each flutter of her eyes/lashes/eyelids.

   Her eyes did a flutter.

   Bon's thighs wrapped around her waist, and Annie moved against her slowly, watching every flutter of her lashes, every gasp that spilled out.

   Sturdevant answered with a flutter of the eyes.

6. 6

   The act of fluttering, or multiple acts thereof; the back-and-forth motion of fluttering; a state of fluttering. The movement a hand fan with a back-and-forth action using flicks of the wrist, so as to produce a graceful wave-like effect.

   The flutter of the geisha's fan was elegant.

   How apt is the flutter of the fan to express the different affections of the belle : there is the angry flutter, the modest flutter, the timorous flutter, the confused flutter etc.

   On the other hand, who ever tires of the names of Oldfield, and Bracegirdle, and Woffington? All the flutters of the fans of two centuries, and all the solid merits of bodices and petticoats, come down to us in their names; chequering Covent Garden like chintz, and bringing along with them the periwigged and scented glories of the Congreves and Steeles.

   As to Mrs. Merillia, although she was, in reality, near fainting in wonder at her grandon's escapade, she preserved an expression of gracious benignity, and did not allow a motion of her eyelids or a flutter of her fan to betray her emotion at finding herself the unprepared hostess of such unusual guests.

7. 7

   The act of fluttering, or multiple acts thereof; the back-and-forth motion of fluttering; a state of fluttering. The leg motion of various strokes in swimming, especially the flutter kick.

   The flutter of your legs will propel you through the water, when you execute a proper flutter kick.

   It is called flutter kick because it is just that, a quick flutter of nearly straight legs, fast and small

   However, when boys used this new arm action a semi-flutter of both legs was present.

8. 8

   The act of fluttering, or multiple acts thereof; the back-and-forth motion of fluttering; a state of fluttering. The motion or state of falling while fluttering or falling as to produce fluttering.

   Winged helicopter seeds fall with rapid flutters to the ground.

   The Christmas tree fell in a flutter of ornaments and pine needles.

   Jessi gathered the length of hair from his shoulders to his back, the weight falling in flutters between his shoulders.

   Flutters of colour fell about him, seesawing movement that marked the descent of leaves.

9. 9

   A quick and irregular motion or vibration, or multiple such motions.

   The irregular back-and-forth flutter of this fishing lure imitates the movement of an injured or sick fish.

   Palatal flutter is a cause of sleep apnea and snoring.

   The rolled r sound of Spanish can be created with a flutter of the tongue.

   candle flutter; tail flutter

10. 10

    A quick and irregular motion or vibration, or multiple such motions. The trembling movement of an iris caused by a lack of support from the lens or as a complication of cataract surgery.

    It's important to note any flutter in the iris.

    Flutter, which is present in most iris-supported lenses, is minimized or virtually eliminated.

    Iris flutter, or iridodonesis, is another indirect sign of weak zonules, which hold the lens in place

    Flutter, which is present in most iris - supported lenses, is minimized

11. 11

    A quick and irregular motion or vibration, or multiple such motions. The vibration, shaking or flapping of fabric, such as in a kite, parachute or sail; the condition of having such a flutter.

    kite flutter; parachute flutter; sail flutter

    Even a weak flutter can damage your sail.

    The flutter of the tarp made it fall onto the heads of those underneath it.

    This design will reduce the chance of flutter in the parachute.

12. 12

    A quick and irregular motion or vibration, or multiple such motions. The vibration of a bird's throat by rapidly pumping air into it with the mouth open in order to reduce excess body heat; gular flutter.

    Witness the flutter of its neck, which helps to lower the bird's body temperature.

    The gular flutter is characterized by a rapid flutter of the gular region caused by flexure and relaxation of the hyoid apparatus.

    gular flutter is actuated by flexure of the hyoid apparatus

    flutter is absent altogether from passerine species

13. 13

    A quick and irregular motion or vibration, or multiple such motions. A method of articulation in playing wind instruments by curving the tongue at the sides and exhaling air over it to make it vibrate; flutter-tongue.

    I've never been able to achieve a proper flutter on my flute.

    This articulation is based on the rapid flutter of the tip of the tongue, with the tongue shaped as in the syllable tr or dr.

    In this method the flutter is produced by rolling the tongue rapidly against the reed as in rolling the letter "r" in “ b - r - r - r.

    The oboist usually allows air to escape around the reed and loosens the embouchure to accommodate the flutter.

14. 14

    A quick and irregular motion or vibration, or multiple such motions. Any of several vocal effects, actions, techniques or conditions, notably tremolo, vibrato and trill, which are deliberately cultivated, as well as the neurological disorder vocal tremor or general strain.

    I love the flutter of the singer's voice. I could never develop the flutter needed to do that. Her flutter is excellent.

    That flutter in your voice is a vocal tremor, caused by the involuntary contractions of muscles in the larynx, throat or other adjacent parts of the body.

    a rapid voice tremor or "flutter" of around 10 Hz, best detected on vowel prolongation.

    When a voice with a tremolo is pushed, or forced, the flutter of the tongue may spread to the jaw, which then moves up and down with the flutter of the tremolo; this is known as a "jaw tremolo." It may even spread to the chest, which then becomes involved in this tetanic flutter.

15. 15

    figurativeA quick and irregular motion or vibration, or multiple such motions. An exception to, or fluctuation in, a pattern; a minor and temporary deviation from an expectation; a blip in a trend; a transient shift in allegiance.

    Despite an occasional flutter, the water current still flows in the same direction as always.

    Smoking rates have been going down for a long time, despite a few regional and temporary flutters.

    The Democratic Party hasn't lost college students, this is just a flutter.

    We've never even seen a flutter in the loyalty of the MacKenzie clan.

16. 16

    figurativeA quick and irregular motion or vibration, or multiple such motions. A state or episode of agitation, of excited anxiety or anxious excitement, or of anticipation; an act of taking a flutter (To flutter for a short period of time) or of being all of a flutter.

    in a flutter

    She'd been in a flutter since receiving word that her in-laws were on the way.

    Thoughts of what he had to do tomorrow ignited a flutter to get ready.

    There was a flutter in the office today because Mr Jones came by.

17. 17

    figurativeA quick and irregular motion or vibration, or multiple such motions. A state or episode of agitation, of excited anxiety or anxious excitement, or of anticipation; an act of taking a flutter (To flutter for a short period of time) or of being all of a flutter. A commotion, ruckus or disturbance; a brief state of energetic activity.

    From my apartment, I heard a flutter in the streets, presumably in protest of the war.

    When I heard a flutter in the basement, I knew it was my daughter sneaking out to play after her bedtime.

    The head of the Florida bureau said there's a flutter among the engineers about that new policy.

    We engaged in an afternoon flutter of preparation for the party.

18. 18

    A spasmodic vibration of one or more body parts or the entire body; a shudder.

    He found his eyelid flutters annoying enough to see a doctor about them.

    A flutter ran through her, but she steeled her nerves and continued.

    She had to pick her steps to avoid the flutters of the quivering, bleeding bodies.

    Eyelid flutter denotes extroversion and agitation

19. 19

    A spasmodic vibration of one or more body parts or the entire body; a shudder. The condition or sensation of a rapid and abnormal heart rhythm; the action of a swift heartbeat.

    She took her own pulse to verify the flutter she felt was real.

    A flutter left him light-headed until he steadied himself by grabbing the railing.

    His heart did a flutter.

    a message which Erle received with a flutter of the heart

20. 20

    A spasmodic vibration of one or more body parts or the entire body; a shudder. A feeling of internal shifting, which may be caused by the movement of a fetus, muscular spasms associated with digestion (or indigestion) or other phenomena, including idiosyncratic perceptions.

    Was that a flutter from my soon-to-be baby or a flutter of indigestion? I couldn't tell!

    So you've been feeling flutters in your belly for three days? Any other symptoms?

    She felt the first flutters of the plane's descent.

    A roiling flutter within had me harden my gaze at the man I swore to seek revenge on.

21. 21

    figurativeA spasmodic vibration of one or more body parts or the entire body; a shudder. A flash of emotion that accompanies an internal sensation, such as a rapid pulsation of the heart or a quiver of nervous disquiet; a small burst of emotion that may be felt or expressed; a fleeting feeling or idea experienced as a feeling.

    He was mostly over his phobia of dogs, but sometimes the sight of a dog still gave him a flutter of terror.

    Some of her father's ways still triggered flutters of that old burning resentment in her. She spoke of him with a flutter of her bitterness that others could sense.

    When he saw that smiling photo of her, he got a flutter of hope that she would come back one day.

    flutter of pain, agony, etc.; flutter of interest, learning, knowledge

22. 22

    A spasmodic vibration of one or more body parts or the entire body; a shudder. The rapid horizontal movement (saccades) of the eyes without pausing between them; ocular flutter.

    That flutter in the patient's eyes means there's a neurological problem.

    We will first comment on the atypical flutter of our patient and then on the concept of opsoclonus/flutter of our patient and then on the concept of flutter upon convergence.

    Postsaccadic bursts of double saccadic pulses are called flutter dysmetria and multivectorial flutter is opsoclonus

    Flutter is seen as the result of fixation and refixation efforts and consists of a short burst of horizontal oscillations.

23. 23

    A spasmodic vibration of one or more body parts or the entire body; a shudder. An abnormal rapid pulsation of the heart, caused by the too-rapid beating of the upper chambers; the condition of experiencing such a flutter.

    You need a cardiologist to treat this flutter in your heart. Your cardiologist will have ways of getting you out of flutter.

    The recording speed is also of importance in detecting flutters of high frequency.

    Flutter is defined by a rapid and regular atrial rhythm originating from reentrant circuit within the atria.

    flutters that arise in the left atrium

24. 24

    A spasmodic vibration of one or more body parts or the entire body; a shudder. The vibration of a heart valve; the condition of experiencing such vibrations.

    I see a distinct flutter in your echocardiogram.

    In addition to investigating the phenomena responsible for initiating flutter, expanded studies of heart valve leaflet flutter could explore other relevant system parameters, such as flow speed and valve size, that may induce or reduce flutter.

    the flutter of the anterior mitral leaflet is best delineated

    In this review, we summarize and analyze the existing literature; discuss the detection methods of frequency and amplitude of heart valve flutter, and its potential effects on valve function, such as thrombosis and valve degeneration; and discuss some possible ways to avoid flutter.

25. 25

    A spasmodic vibration of one or more body parts or the entire body; a shudder. A contraction of the diaphragm caused by synchronous diaphragmatic flutter.

    The flutter has been treated, and symptoms of synchronous diaphragmatic flutter are no longer present.

    the flutter stopped temporarily

    A 35-year-old woman’s flutter was triggered by increasing the depth of breathing and by (electrical) stimulation of the diaphragm.

    It looks like a mild contraction or "flutter" of the diaphragm (almost like a mild hiccup), but it is not associated with breathing

26. 26

    A physical oscillation in a mechanical device; a state of oscillation; the action of oscillation.

    I felt each flutter of the lawnmower as it struggled to start.

    The needle on this gauge was in a flutter, which makes it hard to read the result.

    The flutter of the drill makes me tired just from holding it.

    The "flutter" of the saw between the guides is caused by lower guides clamping saw, and is a prolific cause of bullheads and cracks, the former because it holds the saw as the shock of contact occurs, and increases the overthrow of the top wheel.

27. 27

    A physical oscillation in a mechanical device; a state of oscillation; the action of oscillation. An extremely dangerous divergent oscillation caused by a positive feedback loop between the elastic deformation of an object and the aerodynamic forces acting on it, potentially resulting in rapid structural failure.

    wind turbine flutter, propellor flutter, blade flutter, fan flutter, fin flutter, whirl flutter, wing flutter

    The flutter characteristics of the new design suggest that it will hold up well in real-world conditions.

    In this work, we introduce a comprehensive evaluation of flutter behavior including classical flutter, edgewise vibration, and flutter mode characteristics for two-bladed, downwind rotors.

    The investigation reveals that flutter onset is consistently governed by the coupling of the first two structural modes, establishing the primary instability boundary, while a secondary instability pathway involving the third and fourth modes uniquely emerges for the fully extended wing.

28. 28

    A physical oscillation in a mechanical device; a state of oscillation; the action of oscillation. The sound created when the throttle body in an engine is closed, forcing air through the turbocharger in the wrong direction, which makes the air bounce against the compressor blades, stalling them; the condition of having this occur in an engine.

    You have a compressor surge, I could hear the flutter in your engine. I can show you how to fix the flutter.

    If you hear flutter on acceleration, it is dangerous surge.

29. 29

    A physical oscillation in a mechanical device; a state of oscillation; the action of oscillation. The shaking of a vehicle or part of a vehicle, especially when caused by the engine surging, stalling or fluctuating in RPM.

    The flutters are a sign that something is seriously wrong with your car.

    A flutter of the engine, and then it stopped.

30. 30

    A fluctuation in sound, especially a malfunction in technology.

    The bird's song was full of trills and flutters.

    I can hear a flutter in this movie's soundtrack.

31. 31

    A fluctuation in sound, especially a malfunction in technology. A wavering quality in a voice, usually suggesting a specified feeling.

    I heard a flutter when she spoke.

    He said he could do it, but the flutter in his voice told me he lacked confidence.

    "Wellllll..." he said, and I could tell from the flutter that he was not going to commit to buy today.

    Turiel said, the merest flutter of effort in her tone.

32. 32

    A fluctuation in sound, especially a malfunction in technology. The sound of a camera shutter opening to let in light when taking a picture, or the sound of a camera app that simulates the same thing.

    The explosion of flutters behind me let me know the paparazzi were here.

    I heard the flutter of a camera, saw a man a few yards behind me taking photos with a long-range lens.

33. 33

    A fluctuation in sound, especially a malfunction in technology. A sound distortion in film, as in an old movie, caused by variable film speed across the sound head.

    A lot of people find the flutter of film to be an annoying distraction.

    Take-ups Cause Flutter

    Fortunately, the ear is quite tolerant of variations in pitch (flutter) caused by variation in film speed of speech recordings

34. 34

    A fluctuation in sound, especially a malfunction in technology. The distortion in a cassette recording, especially the distortion caused by variations in the speed of the magnetic tape due to sticking and slipping during playback or recording.

    The flutter is part of the appeal for cassette enthusiasts.

    To specify the effect of flutter with one figure can be extremely misleading, for it says nothing about the distribution of flutter in the spectrum of interest.

35. 35

    A fluctuation in sound, especially a malfunction in technology. The rapid variation of signal parameters, such as amplitude, phase, and frequency, caused by variations in the speed of the playback from a record player; the condition of having such variation.

    I maintain all of the equipment in tiptop condition, so there's no wow or flutter.

    He diagnosed my system's flutter.

    Difference between flutter and wow

36. 36

    A fluctuation in sound, especially a malfunction in technology. The sound created by a flutter echo.

    The flutter in this room is from the hard, parallel walls.

    To hear a flutter echo, all one needs is a pair of parallel surfaces (and they need not be very large), stand between them, and clap hands. Nowhere else in the vast garden were there any flutters.

37. 37

    A fluctuation in sound, especially a malfunction in technology. The pulsating sound created by the phase distortion caused by the simultaneous playback of two frequencies.

    The two recordings aren't synced up well enough to get rid of that flutter.

38. 38

    A fluctuation in sound, especially a malfunction in technology. The sound distortion created by a turntable picking up subsonic interference.

39. 39

    A fluctuation in sound, especially a malfunction in technology. The sound distortion created by vibrations in a speaker; speaker flutter.

    I finally solved the flutter from that speaker.

40. 40

    A flicker or fluctuation in light; a type of visual distortion.

    The flutter of the lamplight cast a romantic glow on the room.

    The flutter effect strains my eyes.

    I perceive no flutter or bending of the lines

    Flutter in the picture due to passing aeroplanes and other fading effects are reduced.

41. 41

    A flicker or fluctuation in light; a type of visual distortion. A malfunction in the image on a television, monitor or screen, which may be fluctuations in brightness, bands of distortion or a flickering or blurry quality; the condition of displaying such a malfunction.

    I hate watching that TV, because of its flutter.

42. 42

    A flicker or fluctuation in light; a type of visual distortion. A jumping or flickering effect in a film or a video, which may come from damage to the film or to defects in the recording, such as a shaky camera, or which may be a digital effect that simulates such conditions.

    The flutter on those old movies makes it hard to see the details.

    Anything that causes the film to pass the light beam jerkily produces flutter.

43. 43

    A speculative endeavor, especially a small one; an act of taking a flutter (To support a risky option.).

    "Not that I am averse to having a business flutter, mind you." "This will be more than a flutter, I assure you."

    Maybe they thought I was one of those golden boys or hot shots that blew everything on a risky flutter on the stock exchange

44. 44

    datedA speculative endeavor, especially a small one; an act of taking a flutter (To support a risky option.). An attempt or try.

    We had a flutter on the project, but we didn't get very far on it.

    You had a flutter? Yes. And yet you suggest that the Government did not take things seriously enough whilst you were conducting this flutter?

    Paignton had had a flutter at including an adjoining area

    If you believe you have, send it along, and have a flutter for one of the big money prizes we offer.

45. 45

    A speculative endeavor, especially a small one; an act of taking a flutter (To support a risky option.). An act of foxhunting.

    We should have luck with a flutter over the north field.

    A flutter over the well-known water ditch, a desultory charge of a hundred and fifty horsemen and women up the hill beyond

    In October, however, hounds may be allowed to have a flutter and to get away with their fox in the open, and then fields are bigger

    Occasion what the D.T. gentleman calls "a flutter" and "brief scurries".

46. 46

    A speculative endeavor, especially a small one; an act of taking a flutter (To support a risky option.). A small bet or risky investment, especially from a rookie gambler; an act of taking a flutter (To place a small bet.).

    I fancied a flutter, and I won eighty pounds on it.

    "Oh, by the way, I heard of a rather good thing today, New Kleinfonteins; it's a gold mine in Rhodesia. If you'd like to have a flutter you might make a bit."

    30 July, 2009, Eurosport, Gray Matter: How will Schu do? So with his victory odds currently at 14/1 or 3/1 for the podium, he's still most certainly well worth a flutter […]

    These regular and committed gamblers are not engaged in a flutter, or a romantic adventure.

47. 47

    A speculative endeavor, especially a small one; an act of taking a flutter (To support a risky option.). A hasty or casual game, e.g. of cards.

    We usually just have a flutter after dinner, but once the game is through, we all go to our rooms.

    "We have a loo in College every night-of course that is not every night, but most nights-not a big loo at all, you know, but just a small party of our own. I would almost rather we played whist myself, but the other fellows don't like whist, it's too awfully scientific; and at loo, you know, you can have a bit of a flutter. It helps to pass the time after Hall."

48. 48

    One or more objects or phenomena that flutter, that move as if fluttering, that appear to be fluttering or that cause fluttering; something fluttery.

    The castle was adorned with ribbons, flags and other flutters that waved in the stiff wind.

    Then he looked from her to some gayer figures moving along the road with flutters of bright streamers and flounces

    As the nudities and mythologies of the sixteenth century lost something of their vogue, the draperies acquired greater significance in the general effect; and the impression of agitation was accentuated by exaggerated flutters of wide-flung expanses of carved stuffs.

    The flutters of drapery falling from the arms of the two angels in the upper compartment of the ivory, recall those falling from the right-hand arm of the elder to the left in Houvet's Plate 50.

49. 49

    One or more objects or phenomena that flutter, that move as if fluttering, that appear to be fluttering or that cause fluttering; something fluttery. A state of being amid or decorated in items that flutter.

    In such an atmosphere the harbor was flecked with brilliantly decked craft of every description, all in a flutter of flags and carrying a host of passengers in gala dress.

    Sally at last appeared, all in a flutter of ribbons and scarfs, whose bright, high colors assorted well with the ultramarine blue of her dress, and the vivid pomegranate hue of her cheeks.

    In a flutter of cloth and feathers, Trini quickly changes into her bird and takes to the sky disappearing into the forest.

50. 50

    One or more objects or phenomena that flutter, that move as if fluttering, that appear to be fluttering or that cause fluttering; something fluttery. A flurry of snow, smoke, dust, etc., or a light rain shower, or another phenomenon experientially similar to a light burst of rain or snow.

    A flutter of snow covered the landscape in a thin layer of white.

    A light flutter of snow fell , and I glanced into the silvery sky, letting the flakes fall on my face.

    Those who were nearest saw her head drop suddenly, as she choked upon her bosom; and then the cords burning through and through, the whole lifeless body tumbled forward into the embers, causing a considerable flutter of dust and smoke; and when it cleared away, there was nothing to be seen but a confused heap of ashes and dying embers.

51. 51

    One or more objects or phenomena that flutter, that move as if fluttering, that appear to be fluttering or that cause fluttering; something fluttery. A breeze or wind that might cause an item to flutter.

    The flag was hanging limp all day, until a flutter made it stand up and ripple for a few seconds.

    little flutters of breeze shook the white hats of the daisies

    A flutter of air teased the back of Dakota's neck

    The air breaks into flutters low and sweet,/Smooth as the liquid passage of the bird;/And as the ocean-murmur

52. 52

    One or more objects or phenomena that flutter, that move as if fluttering, that appear to be fluttering or that cause fluttering; something fluttery. The flow and feel of a garment or outfit, particularly a woman's dress or gown, which moves or appears likely to move in a graceful and airy manner when worn, especially in a light breeze.

    The flutter of that gown is characteristic of the designer's style. Its flutter means it looks best in a light breeze.

53. 53

    datedOne or more objects or phenomena that flutter, that move as if fluttering, that appear to be fluttering or that cause fluttering; something fluttery. A feature of clothing (often lace) intended to flutter, such as flaps, straps, trim, etc.

    On this gown, flutters of red on the shoulders and arms provide visual interest.

    A Worth taffeta model in the approved bunched, draped, and long-in-places style has flutters of lace set in the skirt.

    Her flutter--pale disconcerted ghost as she actually was, a broken white flower tied round, almost grotesquely for his present sense, with a huge satin "bow" of the Boulevard--her flutter had been mainly that of ribbons, frills and fine fabrics; all funny, pathetic evidence, for memory, of the bewilderments overtaking them as a bridal pair confronted with opportunity.

    he found himself enveloped in a frothy abundance of frills and fal-lals, lace at the wrists, lace round the neck, with flutters of ribbon here and there.

54. 54

    One or more objects or phenomena that flutter, that move as if fluttering, that appear to be fluttering or that cause fluttering; something fluttery. A group of butterflies or moths.

    The flutter that passed us by was made up of monarch butterflies.

    Instantly a great flutter of butterflies of all sizes and colors lifted in spangled clouds about them.

    Gay as a flutter of butterflies and light as a zephyr, these dainty fabrics instantly suggest a wardrobe of sheer delight.

    Since this cowl released a flutter of moths and parted at the shoulder as he was getting into it, he decided that it must be his own.

55. 55

    historicalOne or more objects or phenomena that flutter, that move as if fluttering, that appear to be fluttering or that cause fluttering; something fluttery. A combination of steam and water visible at the top gauge cock of a steam-boiler.

    The flutter in that gauge-cock makes it hard to see what the correct water level is.

    If such was the case and a hole drilled through the brace in the boiler, it might become stopped up opposite the gauge cock and the steam would leak down between the boiler head and the brace on the inside, which would perhaps cause a flutter of steam and water to show at the gauge cock when open.

    Priming may easily be detected by the motion of the water in the glass water gauge, or by the "flutter" of the gauge cocks when opened.

    To use a phrase employed by practical men, the priming or foaming of the boiler may be known by the "flutter" of the gauge cocks.

56. 56

    A small amount or a small sign of something.

    The nuns prayed on the matter daily, sending flutters of devotion to the heavens.

    Everywhere he saw flutters of war and knew the rumors of peace were mere idle talk.

    Little paper birds are flying out of Neil A. Armstrong Middle School in Bristol Township, and each one brings another small flutter of help for the devastated people of Japan.

    As he walked toward the mall he saw flutters of spring everywhere.

57. 57

    A small amount or a small sign of something. A fragment or flash of a color or of light or sound.

    Amid the flutters of sunshine drifting through the dense canopy, I spotted my target.

    Here on the painting we see flutters of blue, suggesting the sky beyond.

    Aside from a few stray flutters of laughter, the audience was silent.

    With flutters of white showing in his big blue-gray wings, he dropped from twig to twig

58. 58

    figurativeA small amount or a small sign of something. A scrap or fragment of, e.g., rumors, history, sentiment, etc.

    I asked around and heard nothing concrete, just flutters of accusations of bad behavior.

    Despite the lack of written records, we have dredged up a few flutters of information about that era of history.

    Polls are scarce on this subject, so this one flutter of data may be all we have to make our decision.

    she had heard stories about him, flutters of talk through open doors.

Forms

plural

flutters

past tense

fluttered

past participle

fluttered

present participle

fluttering

third person singular

flutters