Of birds, etc.: To move or flap the wings rapidly without flying or with short flights; to move up and down or to and fro in quick irregular…

intransitive. Of a bird: To flutter; to hover. occasionally To flap the wings; to move by flapping the wings.

Falconry. To beat the wings impatiently and flutter away from the fist or perch. (French se battre: cf. abate, v.3)

intr. †To make a fan-like movement; to flap. †Of a bird: To flutter. Of the wind: To blow. Now rare.

intransitive. To flap, flutter, throb; esp. of birds, to flap the wings, to fly flutteringly. In modern dialect also transitive. To flap (the wings)…

intransitive. Of a falcon, hawk, etc.: to beat or flap the wings, to flutter. Cf. bate, v.1

intransitive. To flap, flutter; to flap the wings; to throb, palpitate.

intransitive. To bate or flutter as a hawk.

transitive. To flap (the wings) with force so that they beat the air or the sides; also intransitive (absol.)

intransitive. To flutter or fly irregularly.

To move clumsily or heavily; to move with a sudden bump or thud. Of a bird: To flap the wings heavily. Also with away, down, over, etc.

intransitive (with adverb complement). Of a bird: To make way by flapping the wings.

intransitive. To move with quick vibrations; (also, to flick it). Of a bird: To flutter; in quot. with out. Of a wound: To palpitate, throb. Cf. fl…