Also 9 dial. flittering. † a. A strip of the wood of a young oak tree (obs.). b. dial. A young oak.
1682. J. Collins, Making of Salt in Eng., 21. These Trees to be bound together long-ways, and broad-ways like the Ribs of a Ship, with flitterns or pieces of Oak, or cross Bars.
1863. J. R. Wise, New Forest, xvi. 183. The tops of the oaks are termed, when lopped, the ‘flitterings.’
1876. Bill of Sale, in Hampsh. Gloss. (1883), s.v. Oak-trees and clean oak flitterns with their tops, lops, and bark.
Comb., as flittern bark (see quot.).
1858. Simmonds, Dict. Trade, Flittern Bark, the bark of young oak-trees, as distinguished from that of old oak-trees which is called timber bark and is less valuable to tanners.
