skitter
/ˈskɪtə
/(also skeeter /ˈskiːtə/)
verb
1 [no object, with adverbial of direction] Move lightly and quickly or hurriedly: the girls skittered up the stairs figurative her mind skittered back to that day at the office...
- Her eyes widened further, and she backed, more quickly than before, skittering quickly against the walls and door.
- I was about to protest, but Alex quickly skittered off to the bathroom, leaving me stupidly holding the silver phone in my hand.
- She nodded quickly and skittered over to her seat.
2 [with object] Draw (bait) jerkily across the surface of the water as a technique in fishing.
Origin
Mid 19th century: apparently a frequentative of skite.
Rhymes
- newspaperist
- newspaperized
- newspaperland
- newspaperless
- newspaperly
- newspaperman
- newspaper office
- newspaper stamp
- newspaper stamp duty
- newspaperwoman
- newspapery
- newspeak
- news peg
- newspeople
- news photographer
- newsprint
- new-sprung
- newsreader
- newsreading
- newsreel
- news release
- newsroom
- newsserver
- news service
- unconstitutionality