Twitter Meaning
/ˈtwɪtə/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounThe sound of a succession of chirps as uttered by birds.
nounUnwanted flicker that occurs in interlaced displays when the image contains vertical detail that approaches the horizontal resolution of the video format.
Sentence Examples
He was in a twitter.
I deactivated my Twitter account yesterday.
Twitter is among the biggest enemies of Islam.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The birds began to ____ loudly at sunrise from the tree.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The birds began to ____ in the trees as the sun rose, creating a very beautiful and peaceful morning sound today.
Word Origin & History
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”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Interline twitter occurs on interlaced displays at half the field-rate."
— 1986, Second International Conference on Simulators: 7-11 September 1986, IEEE, page 145:
"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:
"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):
"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:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The birds began to ____ loudly at sunrise from the tree.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The birds began to ____ in the trees as the sun rose, creating a very beautiful and peaceful morning sound today.