I. ˈjid.ə(r), -itə- verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: origin unknown
intransitive verb
1. : to be nervous or act in a nervous way
jittered around backstage on the opening night — Newsweek
especially : to experience the jitters
bears his awful responsibility without jittering — Time
2. : to jog or jig continuously : make continuous fast repetitive movements
the wash … still jittered, stiff and yellowish on the wire line — Raymond Chandler
also : to progress in short fast repetitive movements
transitive verb
: to cause to jitter ; also : cause to move in jittering movements
II. noun
( -s )
1. : the state of mind or the movement of one that jitters
2. jitters plural but singular or plural in construction : extreme nervousness : a sense of panic — often used with the
experienced a bad case of the jitters before playing the solo
3. : irregular random variation in a signal usually evidenced by variation in the position of a spot on a radar or television screen