Forms: 4 twyter, twiter, 5– twitter, [Of imitative origin: cf. OHG. zwisirôn, -erôn (MHG. zwitzern, G. zwitschern), Du. kwetteren, and Sw. qvittra, Norw. dial. kvittra, kvitra, Da. kvidre (see QUITTER v.2), in sense 1.]
1. intr. Of a bird: To utter a succession of light tremulous notes; to chirp continuously with a tremulous effect.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., III. met. ii. 54 (Camb. MS.). The Iangelynge bryd … enclosed in a streyht cage … twiterith desyrynge the wode with her swete voys.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 237. Þe nyȝtyngale in his note Twytereþ wel fawnyng Wiþ full swete song.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 434. Swallows twitter on the Chimney Tops.
1750. Gray, Elegy, v. The swallow twittring from the straw-built shed.
1840. Dickens, Barn. Rudge, i. Colonies of sparrows chirped and twittered in the eaves.
b. transf. Of a person: To sing after the above manner; also (esp. of a woman), to talk or chatter rapidly in a small or tremulous voice.
1829. Lady Granville, Lett., 22 Nov. (1894), II. 49. They … are enchanted, twittering like hedge-sparrows.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), III. 40. While a man is singing and twittering and pouring music like water through the funnel of his ears, the edge of his soul gradually wears away.
1879. K. S. Macquoid, Berkshire Lady, 178. The old lady twittered and fluttered.
2. trans. Of a bird: To utter or express by twittering.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 237. Þe osul twytereþ mery songes.
1645. G. Daniel, Poems, Wks. (Grosart), II. 70. The Squallid owle Twitters a midnight note.
1821. Clare, Vill. Minstr., II. 105. Linnets,… twittering their welcomes to the day’s return.
1884. W. C. Smith, Kildrostan, I. iii. 14. The swifts and swallows … Twitter their gossip in the evening light.
1891. Farrar, Darkn. & Dawn, xxxvii. The very birds of the air seemed to fit away from him [Nero], twittering ‘Matricide! matricide!’
b. transf. Of a person: cf. 1 b.
1864. Browning, Youth & Art, iii. I … trilled and twittered, ‘Kate Brown’s on the boards ere long.’ Ibid. (1878), Poets Croisic, lxxi. These [lines], brisk as any finch, He twittered.
1900. Sarah Grand, Babs, xvii. ‘Really, Mrs. Kingconstance,’ Miss Spice twittered excitedly, ‘you are too kind!’
3. intr. To move tremulously, tremble, shake, quiver, shiver; esp. to tremble with excitement, eagerness, fear, etc.; to be in a flutter; hence, † to long eagerly, to hanker (after, or to do something). Now dial.
a. 1616. Beaum. & Fl., Scornf. Lady, IV. i. When it twitter’d to be at me.
1629. Gaule, Holy Madn., 206. Hands clap, Fingers twitter.
1635. Brome, Sparagus Gard., III. v. How the slave twitters.
1675. Bunyan, Saved by Grace, Wks. (ed. Offor), I. 342. Doth not thy mouth water, doth not thy heart twitter at being saved? Ibid. (a. 1688), Israel’s Hope Encouraged, ibid., 620. Doth not all this discourse make thy heart twitter after the mercy that is with God?
1684. Southerne, Disappointm., II. i. Her eyes and lips, see how they blubb and pout, and twitter and swell at you.
1821. Clare, Vill. Minstr., I. 46. And Where the sun-beam twitter’d on the walls. Ibid., II. 92. God knows my heart! I twitter’d like a leaf, And found too late the cause of Sunday’s greif.
1861. Thackeray, Four Georges, iv. (1876), 115. The bigness, boisterousness … appear to have … set all the teacups twittering on the tray.
1878. Stevenson, Inland Voy., 114. I was … twittering with cold.
b. trans. To move (something) tremulously; to twiddle (the fingers). rare–1.
1855. Thackeray, Newcomes, vii. Mademoiselle … was twittering her fingers.
4. intr. To laugh in a suppressed way, titter, giggle. dial.
1687. Miége, Gt. Fr. Dict., II. To twitter, or snear at one, to laugh at him with some contempt, se moquer de quêcun.
1694. Motteux, Rabelais, IV. lii. 204. The Maidens began to snicker,… giggling and twittering among themselves.
a. 1700. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, Twitter, to Laugh much with little Noise.
1901. ‘Zack,’ Dunstable Weir, 11. Folks would have twittered louder had they known whose fancy he was like to take.
5. trans. To bring into a specified condition by twittering. rare–1.
1861. T. L. Peacock, Gryll Gr., xiv. The pianoforte is not much to my mind…. Its incapability of sustaining a note has led … to those infinitesimal subdivisions of sound, in which all sentiment and expression are twittered and frittered into nothingness.
