I. ˈflit, usu -id.+V verb
( flitted ; flitted ; flitting ; flits )
Etymology: Middle English flitten, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse flytja to carry, convey, flytjask to move, migrate; akin to Old Norse fljōta to flow — more at fleet
intransitive verb
1. : to pass usually quickly or abruptly from one place to another
2. now dialect : to change one's residence : move from one place to another
we flitted last week to our new house
3.
a. : to move swiftly or briskly : pass with a rapid motion : fleet
clouds flitting across the sky
b. : to move briskly, irregularly, or intermittently usually from place to place
butterflies flitting about the garden
the hummingbird flits from flower to flower
4.
a. archaic : to shift especially in direction, attention, or condition : be unstable or shifting
b. of a flame : to die down : flicker nearly out
candles flitting and flaring in the light evening breeze
5. of time : pass
transitive verb
now chiefly Scotland : to transfer from one residence to another : move
three wagons to flit them and their furniture
II. noun
( -s )
: an act or instance of the motion of flitting : flutter
the sleepy world that lies beneath the mind's restless flit — Christopher Morley
III. adjective
Etymology: alteration (influenced by flit ) (I) of fleet (V)
obsolete : nimble , quick , swift
IV. noun
slang : a male homosexual