skitter

Definition

To move hurriedly or as by bouncing or twitching; to scamper, to scurry; to scuttle.

Etymology

Possibly a frequentative of skite (“to move lightly and hurriedly; to move suddenly, particularly in an oblique direction”) (Scotland, Northern England). The noun is derived from the verb.

Example Sentences

• "I opened the cabinet and a number of cockroaches went skittering off into the darkness."
• "Some kinds of ducks in lighting strike the water with their tails first, and skitter along the surface for a few feet before settling down."
• "Both "Dark Snow" and "Aurelia" [by AFI] feature subtle washes of brittle piano à la Decemberunderground, while "She Speaks The Language" boasts a skittering electronic underbelly, and eerie synths are suspended like low clouds in "Above The Bridge.""