Chirpers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term for devices or individuals that make short, repeated sounds or signals, often resembling the calls of birds
2. Referring to gadgets or people that emit brief, sharp noise patterns akin to those produced by certain avian species
3. Describing instruments or persons that create high-pitched, rhythmic sounds, similar to chirping birds in nature

Etymology: "Chirpers" is the plural of "chirper," a straightforward formation: the verb "chirp," which imitates the short, high sound of a small bird, plus the agentive suffix "-er." The suffix has a long pedigree. It descends from a Latin ending "-arius," which passed into Old French as "-ier," and reached English in Middle English as "-er," the same ending found in words like "baker" and "teacher." The sense here is unusual. A "chirper" is not a bird but a device that makes brief chirping sounds, so the suffix is doing the same job it does in "hooter" or "whistler," attaching a noun-like role to a sound-making action. The plural simply counts several such devices.

Synonyms: singers, tweeting birds