flutters

Noun

flutter (countable and uncountable, plural flutters)

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.

   Synonyms:

   flap, fluttering

   1. (broadly) The collective flutter of many similar objects.
      • leaf flutter; feather flutter
   2. (broadly) 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.
   3. (broadly, figuratively) A sound that spreads in the manner of a wave or ripple.
      • A flutter of gasps spread over the crowd.
   4. 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.
   5. 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.

See all 66 meanings of flutter