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flick·er¹

(flĭkər)

v. flick·ered, flick·er·ing, flick·ers

v.intr.

1. To move waveringly; flutter: shadows flickering on the wall.

a. To burn or shine unsteadily or fitfully: The candle flickered before sputtering out.

b. To be displayed with fluctuating brightness: A movie flickered on the screen.

3. To appear briefly: A smile flickered on her face.

v.tr.

To cause to move waveringly.

1. A brief movement; a tremor.

2. An inconstant or wavering light.

3. A brief or slight sensation: a flicker of doubt.

[Middle English flikeren, to flutter, from Old English flicerian.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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