There are ghosts that may flutter above the stage at the Met.
When Stalin Met Lady Macbeth|Brian Moynahan|November 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It started off small: a hint of annoyance here, a flutter of incredulity there.
Just Kill Mr. Bates Already! How to Save ‘Downton Abbey’|Andrew Romano|February 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There are no red carpets and you just flutter about watching films.
Carey Mulligan, Star of ‘Inside Llewyn Davis,’ on the Coen Brothers, ‘N Sync Fandom, Lorde, and More|Marlow Stern|December 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Just as suddenly she was gone, leaving a flutter of red curtains.
Nepal Old and New: Kathmandu Valley’s Royal Cities Get a Facelift|Condé Nast Traveler|August 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
And, oh, occasionally, the golden snitch—a flying spherical ball—will flutter into the proceedings, creating chaos.
From J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter Novels to Real Life: The Sport of Quidditch Takes Flight|Jace Lacob|March 14, 2012|DAILY BEAST
He heard the flutter of skirts—just caught the grey stockings, swift and light, as they flew behind the rhododendron masses.
Day and Night Stories|Algernon Blackwood
No one else leant over her, and whispered soothing words to her, or was near enough to hear the flutter of her beating heart.
Dombey and Son|Charles Dickens
After that uneasy rustle and flutter, a silence equally uneasy fell upon the assembly.
Madonna Mary|Mrs. Oliphant
It meant a flutter of raiment, a deliberation of readjustment, a kind of superb, massive dislocation.
The Adventures of a Widow|Edgar Fawcett
The flutter of a single flag may set us off on a new course at any minute of the day.
Merchantmen-at-Arms|David W. Bone
British Dictionary definitions for flutter
flutter
/ (ˈflʌtə) /
verb
to wave or cause to wave rapidly; flap
(intr)(of birds, butterflies, etc) to flap the wings
(intr)to move, esp downwards, with an irregular motion
(intr)pathol(of the auricles of the heart) to beat abnormally rapidly, esp in a regular rhythm
to be or make nervous or restless
(intr)to move about restlessly
swimmingto cause (the legs) to move up and down in a flutter kick or (of the legs) to move in this way
(tr)Britishinformalto wager or gamble (a small amount of money)
noun
a quick flapping or vibrating motion
a state of nervous excitement or confusion
excited interest; sensation; stir
Britishinformala modest bet or wager
patholan abnormally rapid beating of the auricles of the heart (200 to 400 beats per minute), esp in a regular rhythm, sometimes resulting in heart block
electronicsa slow variation in pitch in a sound-reproducing system, similar to wow but occurring at higher frequencies
a potentially dangerous oscillation of an aircraft, or part of an aircraft, caused by the interaction of aerodynamic forces, structural elastic reactions, and inertia
swimming See flutter kick
Also called: flutter tonguingmusica method of sounding a wind instrument, esp the flute, with a rolling movement of the tongue
Derived forms of flutter
flutterer, nounflutteringly, adverb
Word Origin for flutter
Old English floterian to float to and fro; related to German flattern; see float