flutter: Meaning and Definition of

flut•ter

Pronunciation: (flut'ur), [key]
— v.i.
  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.
—v.t.
  1. to cause to flutter; vibrate; agitate.
  2. to throw into nervous or tremulous excitement; cause mental agitation; confuse.
—n.
  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.
  3. See
  4. a variation in pitch resulting from rapid fluctuations in the speed of a recording. Cf. wow (def. 1).
  5. a small wager or speculative investment.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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