What does skitter mean?
To skitter is to move quickly and lightly, usually in short, irregular steps. The word is particularly evocative when used for insects, spiders, mice, and other small creatures that seem to dart unpredictably across a surface. It can also describe people moving in a hurried, nervous, or slightly comic way, as in a crowd that skittered away when the music began. A less common sense refers to liquid or small particles being scattered in drops. Although skitter often suggests nervous or erratic movement, it does not necessarily imply fear: an animal may skitter naturally and energetically across open ground. Compared with dart, which emphasizes suddenness and speed, skitter gives a stronger impression of lightness, short steps, and an irregular course. The resulting image is vivid enough that the verb is often used figuratively for quick, fluttering movement.
To move quickly and lightly with short, irregular steps.
"The beetle skittered down the path and vanished beneath a leaf."
Often used of small animals or insects and frequently suggesting nervous or erratic movement.
To scatter or throw something in small drops, especially a liquid.
"The damaged pipe skittered water across the floor."
This sense is uncommon and chiefly literary.
A quick, light, irregular movement.
"She made a sudden skitter toward the doorway."
The noun is uncommon compared with the verb.
Used for individual instances of the rare noun sense.
"The rabbit's nervous skitters carried it behind the hedgerow."
A single startled spider can turn an ordinary room into a miniature athletics track.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does skitter come from?
The word is attested from the early 19th century. Its precise origin is uncertain, although it is commonly understood as an imitative formation suggesting the sound or character of quick, light movement.
How skitter is actually used
The word is especially common for the quick, erratic movement of insects, spiders, mice, and other small animals. It can also describe people moving hurriedly or nervously, though this often carries a faintly comic or disapproving tone. Its older, less common sense of scattering liquid or small particles is chiefly literary.
Easily confused with skitter
Skittering describes rapid, light movement, whereas scattering means spreading or dispersing in different directions.