nounverbnouncommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˈtwɪtə//
- United Kingdom/[ˈtʰwɪtʰə]/
- //ˈtwɪtɚ//
- /[ˈtʰwɪtʰɚ] ~ [ˈtʰwɪtʰɹ̩]/
- //ˈtwɪɾɚ//
The sound of a succession of chirps as uttered by birds.
noun
- 1
The sound of a succession of chirps as uttered by birds.
I often listen to the twitter of the birds in the park.
- 2
Unwanted flicker that occurs in interlaced displays when the image contains vertical detail that approaches the horizontal resolution of the video format.
Interline twitter occurs on interlaced displays at half the field-rate.
- 3
A tremulous broken sound.
- 4
A slight trembling of the nerves.
- 5
informalChiefly in the form in a twitter: a state of excitement or nervousness; a twit.
Etymology
From Middle English twitren, twiteren, from Old English *twiterian, from Proto-West Germanic *twitwiʀōn, from Proto-Germanic *twitwizōną (“to chirp; twitter”). Cognate with Low German twitteren (“to twitter”), German zwitzern, zwitschern (“to twitter”). Compare also Dutch kwetteren (“to twitter”), Danish kvidre (“to twitter”), Swedish kvittra (“to twitter”), dialectal Swedish tittra (“to twitter”).
verb
- 1
To utter a succession of chirps.
The breezy call of incense-breathing Morn, / The swallow twittering from the straw-built shed,
The swallows, which had been tempted here in great numbers on account of the quantity of insects to be found in proximity to the wood, and had established themselves in the barn and under the eaves, were gambolling, circling, and twittering fearlessly about in the sunshine.
- 2
(of a person) To talk in an excited or nervous manner.
- 3
To make the sound of a half-suppressed laugh; to titter; to giggle.
Oh, the young handsom wenches, how they twitter'd, / When they but saw me shake my ware, and sing too!
- 4
To have a slight trembling of the nerves; to be excited or agitated.
- 5
obsoleteTo twit; to reproach or upbraid.
I have repented of it many’s the good time and oft. And if he was so good to forgive me a word spoken in haste or so, it doth not become such a one as you to twitter me. He was a husband to me, he was; and if ever I did make use of an ill word or so in a passion, I never called him rascal […]
- 6
Variant of TwitterAlternative form of Twitter.
In addition to listing specific earmarks he finds the most reprehensible, McCain said he has been twittering the “top ten” most egregious
noun
- 1
archaicA knot or other defect in a thread or yarn which hinders spinning or weaving; a twit.
Etymology
Origin unknown; possibly related to twine, twist, and twirl.
Forms
- plural
- twitters
- past tense
- twittered
- past participle
- twittered
- present participle
- twittering
- third person singular
- twitters
twitter · The sound of a succession of chirps as uttered by birds.
Twitter · An online social networking and microblogging service;…two · A numerical value equal to 2; this many dots (••).TWO · The station code of Tai Wo in Hong Kong.