chittered; chittering; chitters
Synonyms
Examples of chitter in a Sentence
the chittering birds outside were driving the cat crazy
the cell phone chittered in his pocket
Recent Examples on the Web
Having punctured the small air cell inside the egg’s membrane with their budding beak, the proto-owlets inflate their lungs and start chittering.
—
Rebecca Giggs, The Atlantic, 10 Aug. 2023
Last month, a crowd gathered at the range to listen for the song of the Florida grasshopper sparrow—a faint chittering noise that evokes an insect’s buzz, giving the bird its name.
—Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 17 July 2023
The cave’s ceiling was thick with them—many thousands, agitated and chittering at the presence of human intruders, shifting position, some dropping free to fly and then settling again.
—David Quammen, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2012
In season one, the Demogorgon used to punch through walls and tree portals, but now members of the Mind Flayer’s evil army are just chittering and squelching around town.
—Time, 4 July 2019
Even the scare scenes — the ones where evil monsters track down basement stairs, make chittering growly noises, and crash into things — have this faint, but distracting score.
—Simon Abrams, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Apr. 2018
The pumps chitter away, sucking air from the barrel.
—Dan Dubno, Popular Mechanics, 25 Apr. 2017
See More
Rebecca Giggs, The Atlantic, 10 Aug. 2023
Last month, a crowd gathered at the range to listen for the song of the Florida grasshopper sparrow—a faint chittering noise that evokes an insect’s buzz, giving the bird its name.
—Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 17 July 2023
The cave’s ceiling was thick with them—many thousands, agitated and chittering at the presence of human intruders, shifting position, some dropping free to fly and then settling again.
—David Quammen, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2012
In season one, the Demogorgon used to punch through walls and tree portals, but now members of the Mind Flayer’s evil army are just chittering and squelching around town.
—Time, 4 July 2019
Even the scare scenes — the ones where evil monsters track down basement stairs, make chittering growly noises, and crash into things — have this faint, but distracting score.
—Simon Abrams, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Apr. 2018
The pumps chitter away, sucking air from the barrel.
—Dan Dubno, Popular Mechanics, 25 Apr. 2017
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chitter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English chiteren, probably of imitative origin
First Known Use
13th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of chitter was
in the 13th century
Dictionary Entries Near chitter
Cite this Entry
“Chitter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chitter. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
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