twitter

¹

[ twit-er ]

verb (used without object)

1. to utter a succession of small, tremulous sounds, as a bird.
2. to talk lightly and rapidly, especially of trivial matters; chatter.
3. to titter; giggle.
4. to tremble with excitement or the like; be in a flutter.
5. Digital Technology. tweet ( def 4 ).

verb (used with object)

1. to express or utter by twittering.

noun

1. an act of twittering.
2. a twittering sound.
3. a state of tremulous excitement.

   Synonyms: fluster, tizzy, flutter

Twitter

²

Trademark.

1. a brand name for a social media service and website where registered users may post text that is limited to a certain number of characters, as well as links, photos, or videos.

twitter

¹

/ ˈtwɪtə /

verb

1. intr (esp of a bird) to utter a succession of chirping sounds
2. intr to talk or move rapidly and tremulously
3. intr to giggle

   her schoolmates twittered behind their desks

4. tr to utter in a chirping way

noun

1. a twittering sound, esp of a bird
2. the act of twittering
3. a state of nervous excitement (esp in the phrase in a twitter )

Twitter

²

/ ˈtwɪtə /

noun

1. a website where people can post short messages about their current activities

verb

1. intr; sometimes not capital to write a short message on the Twitter website

Derived Forms

• ˈtwittery, adjective
• ˈtwitterer, noun

Other Words From

• twitter·er noun
• twitter·ing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of twitter¹

1325–75; Middle English twiteren (v.); akin to German zwitschern

Word History and Origins

Origin of twitter¹

C14: of imitative origin

Example Sentences

Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, external, Facebook, external, Twitter, external and YouTube, external.

From BBC

On X, formerly Twitter, the 42-year-old said the debate over his past and fitness for the role "was unfairly becoming a distraction" to the work of the incoming Trump administration.

From BBC

Several users on X, formerly Twitter, posted screenshots of an alert telling them "please check your entries and try again" when attempting to log in.

From BBC

Once the harassment campaign started to get more national attention, thousands of feminists logged on to defend the targets, flooding Twitter with memes and counterarguments that recognized the true villains as the Gamergaters themselves.

From Salon

Millions of people signed up to the app since the US election results, some in protest at the role X, formerly Twitter, played in propelling Donald Trump to victory.

From BBC

Related Words

• cheep
• chirp
• chirrup
• peep