twitter

Meaning

Noun

1. (uncountable) The sound of a succession of chirps as uttered by birds.
2. (uncountable) Unwanted flicker that occurs in interlaced displays when the image contains vertical detail that approaches the horizontal resolution of the video format.
3. (countable) A tremulous broken sound.
4. (countable) A slight trembling of the nerves.
5. (British, countable, informal, regional) Chiefly in the form in a twitter: a state of excitement or nervousness; a twit.

Verb

1. (intransitive) To utter a succession of chirps.
2. (intransitive, transitive) (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.
4. To have a slight trembling of the nerves; to be excited or agitated.
5. (obsolete, transitive) To twit; to reproach or upbraid.
6. (alt-of, alternative) Alternative form of Twitter.

Synonyms

chirp

warble

chatter

sing

cheep

peep

chirrup

squeak

tweet

chirping

trill

chitter

twittering

birdsong

howl

flush

excitement

caw

petulance

pip

pipe

prattle

rampage

roar

seethe

singing

song

🎶

spurt

stridulate

tizzy

vocal

whinny

whistle

anthem

chirm

babble

bray

canto

carol

chuckle

croak

dither

ditty

flare up

fluster

fume

giggle

jabber

lay

make noise

Translations

zwitschern

gorjear

cinguettare

tjilpen

sjilpen

kwetteren

piepen

pépier

gazouiller

piar

cinguettio

pipilar

piepen

gorjear

singen

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈtwɪtə/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: twitren

Inherited from Old English: *twiterian

Cognate with Low German: twitteren

Cognate with German: zwitzern

Cognate with Dutch: kwetteren

Cognate with Danish: kvidre

Cognate with Swedish: kvittra

Cognate with Swedish: tittra

In summary

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”).