Skitters

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To move with quick, light, and small steps, often in a nervous or playful manner ; to glide or move rapidly and lightly over a surface, such as a stone skimming across water
2. To dart or run swiftly and lightly on feet, frequently with a jittery or erratic motion ; to pass over a surface quickly and almost effortlessly, often in a skipping or bouncing way
3. To proceed with rapid, delicate, and short movements commonly seen in small animals or objects ; to sweep or flick rapidly across a surface in a smooth, skipping motion

Etymology: "Skitters" is the third-person singular form of "skitter", so the core story belongs to the verb. Its likeliest source is "skite", a Scottish and Northern English verb meaning to move lightly and hurriedly, or suddenly and at an angle. Adding the frequentative ending "-er" gives the sense of repeated, quick movement, so a skitter is something that keeps darting about. There is a second, less flattering possibility. "Skite" is also recorded in the sense "to defecate," and "skitter" may derive from that same verb with the same "-er" frequentative ending. The two origins are not settled, so the lighthearted sense of quick, light movement and the coarser sense may be related, though the link is uncertain.

Synonyms: skims, scurries, scuttles, hurries, glides