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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

twitter en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • /ˈtwɪɾɚ/ t-flapping
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • [ˈtʰwɪtʰɚ] ~ [ˈtʰwɪtʰɹ̩] without t-flapping
  • [ˈtʰwɪtʰə] (Received-Pronunciation)
  • [ˈtʰwɪɾɚ] ~ [ˈtʰwɪɾɹ̩] t-flapping
  • /ˈtwɪtə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈtwɪtɚ/ without t-flapping

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”).

Meanings

  1. (countable, uncountable) The sound of a succession of chirps as uttered by birds.
    • I often listen to the twitter of the birds in the park.
  2. (uncountable) 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. 1986, Second International Conference on Simulators: 7-11 September 1986, IEEE, page 145:
  3. (countable) A tremulous broken sound.
  4. (countable) A slight trembling of the nerves.
  5. (UK, countable, informal, regional) Chiefly in the form in a twitter: a state of excitement or nervousness; a twit.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
twitters Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

twitterish · twittery · twitterer · twitteration · twittersome · twitter-boned · twitter-bone

Translations (21)

gd ceilear (sound made by birds) · bg чуруликане (sound made by birds) · fi sirkutus (sound made by birds) · mk цвркот (sound made by birds) · ar تَغْرِيد (sound made by birds) · ru щебета́ние (sound made by birds) · ru чири́канье (sound made by birds) · gl chío (sound made by birds) · sv kvitter (sound made by birds) · hu csicsergés (sound made by birds) · gl rechouchío (sound made by birds) · hu csiripelés (sound made by birds) · gl trilo (sound made by birds) · it cinguettio (sound made by birds) · fi viserrys (sound made by birds) · gl chirlo (sound made by birds) · pl świergot (sound made by birds) · fi laulu (sound made by birds) · pt piar (sound made by birds) · de Zwitschern (sound made by birds) · ru ще́бет (sound made by birds)

twitter en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • /ˈtwɪɾɚ/ t-flapping
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • [ˈtʰwɪtʰɚ] ~ [ˈtʰwɪtʰɹ̩] without t-flapping
  • [ˈtʰwɪtʰə] (Received-Pronunciation)
  • [ˈtʰwɪɾɚ] ~ [ˈtʰwɪɾɹ̩] t-flapping
  • /ˈtwɪtə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈtwɪtɚ/ without t-flapping

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”).

Meanings

  1. (intransitive) To utter a succession of chirps.
    • The breezy call of incense-breathing Morn, / The swallow twittering from the straw-built shed, 1750 June 12 (date written; published 1751), T[homas] Gray, “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”, in Designs by Mr. R[ichard] Bentley, for Six Poems by Mr. T. Gray, London: […] R[obert] Dodsley, […], published 1753, →OCLC:
    • 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. 1881, P. Chr. Asbjörnsen [i.e., Peter Christen Asbjørnsen], translated by H. L. Brækstad, Round the Yule Log. Norwegian Folk and Fairy Tales, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, →OCLC, page 278:
  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.
    • Oh, the young handsom wenches, how they twitter'd, / When they but saw me shake my ware, and sing too! c. 1616–1619 (first performance), John Fletcher, “The Loyal Subiect”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
    • Ball held sow's ear, And both in rear, Ran against old Dame and hit her That she did fall, Over sow and Ball, How Jack and Jill did twitter. 1810, Jack and Jill, and old Dame Gill, York: J. Kendrew, page 15:
  4. To have a slight trembling of the nerves; to be excited or agitated.
  5. (obsolete, transitive) To 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 […] 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:
  6. (alt-of, alternative) Alternative form of Twitter.
    alt of Twitter
    • In addition to listing specific earmarks he finds the most reprehensible, McCain said he has been twittering the “top ten” most egregious 2009 March 2, Michelle Levi, “McCain Criticizes Obama On The Senate Floor”, in CBS News, retrieved 02 Mar 2009:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
twittering Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
twitters Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
twittered Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
twittered Tense=Past lexicographic

Deriveds

twitteringly · twitterpated · atwitter

Synonyms

tweet

Translations (19)

pl ćwierkać (to utter chirps) · fi sirkuttaa (to utter chirps) · fi höpöttää (to speak nervously) · ga bheith ag bíogarnach (to utter chirps) · ru щебета́ть (to utter chirps) · mi tihau (to utter chirps) · fi visertää (to utter chirps) · ru чири́кать (to utter chirps) · hu csicsereg (to utter chirps) · de zwitschern (to utter chirps) · ru чири́кнуть (to utter chirps) · nl tjielpen (to utter chirps) · is tísta (to utter chirps) · pl świergotać (to utter chirps) · mi pekī (to utter chirps) · it cinguettare (to utter chirps) · sv kvittra (to utter chirps) · cs cvrlikat (to utter chirps) · bg чуруликам (to utter chirps)

twitter en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

  • /ˈtwɪɾɚ/ t-flapping
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • [ˈtʰwɪtʰɚ] ~ [ˈtʰwɪtʰɹ̩] without t-flapping
  • [ˈtʰwɪtʰə] (Received-Pronunciation)
  • [ˈtʰwɪɾɚ] ~ [ˈtʰwɪɾɹ̩] t-flapping
  • /ˈtwɪtə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈtwɪtɚ/ without t-flapping

Etymology

Origin unknown; possibly related to twine, twist, and twirl.

Meanings

  1. (Northern-England, Scotland, archaic) A knot or other defect in a thread or yarn which hinders spinning or weaving; a twit.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
twitters Number=Plur lexicographic