twitter

English

Etymology

Imitating the sound.

Noun

twitter (plural twitters)

1. The sound of a succession of chirps as uttered by birds.

   I often listen to the twitter of the birds in the park.

Translations

sound made by birds

• Finnish: sirkutus (fi), laulu (fi), viserrys (fi)
• German: zwitschern (de)
• Italian: cinguettio (it) m

• Portuguese: piar (pt)
• Scottish Gaelic: ceilear (gd) m
• Swedish: kvitter (sv) n

Verb

twitter (third-person singular simple present twitters, present participle twittering, simple past and past participle twittered)

1. (intransitive) To utter a succession of chirps.
   • Gray

     The swallow twittering from the straw-built shed.

2. (intransitive, transitive) (of a person) To talk in an excited or nervous manner.
   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, Book VIII, chapter vii

     […] it doth not become such a one as you to twitter me.

   • 2008, Cherie Blair, Speaking for Myself the autobiography:

     "Tony will be so cross," I twittered as we crawled through the traffic. "He'll probably just go."

3. To make the sound of a half-suppressed laugh; to titter; to giggle.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of J. Fletcher to this entry?)

4. To have a slight trembling of the nerves; to be excited or agitated.
5. (neologism, Internet) To use the microblogging service Twitter.
   • 2009 2 March, Justin Rebello, “Eight top-notch tips for the Twittering attorney"”, Wisconsin Law Journal, retrieved on 2 March 2009:

     Eight top-notch tips for the Twittering attorney

   • 2009 2 March, Michelle Levi, “McCain Criticizes Obama On The Senate Floor”, CBS News, retrieved on 2 March 2009:

     In addition to listing specific earmarks he finds the most reprehensible, McCain said he has been twittering the “top ten” most egregious

   • 2009 23 Feb, MSNBC, “Stars can’t stop Twittering at Oscars, parties”, Access Hollywood, retrieved on 2 March 2009:

     Stars can’t stop Twittering at Oscars, parties

Synonyms

• (internet neologism): tweet

Derived terms

• atwitter

Translations

to utter chirps

• Dutch: tjielpen (nl)
• Finnish: sirkuttaa (fi)
• German: zwitschern (de)

• Italian: cinguettare (it)
• Swedish: kvittra (sv)

to speak nervously

• Finnish: höpöttää (fi)

to use Twitter

• Dutch: twitteren (nl), tweeten (nl)
• Finnish: twiitata (fi)
• German: twittern (de)

• Portuguese: twittar (pt)
• Swedish: tvittra (sv)