# twitter

/ˈtwɪtɝ/ (US) · /twˈɪtɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/twitter
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. birds chirping

verb · CEFR A2

to make a series of short, high sounds like a bird.

For teachers: to utter a succession of short, high-pitched sounds or chirps. Intransitive in this sense.

- The birds began to twitter in the trees just before the sun came up.
- As the first light touched the garden, dozens of sparrows began to twitter in the hedgerow, creating a constant wall of sound.

### 2. talking excitedly

verb · CEFR B2

to talk very quickly in a high voice because you are excited or nervous.

For teachers: to speak in a rapid, light, and often trivial or nervous manner. Often used to describe a group of people talking at once.

- The fans were twittering with excitement while they waited for the singer to appear.
- The guests continued to twitter about the scandal long after the host had attempted to change the subject to something more neutral.

### 3. using social media

verb · CEFR B1 · Informal

to post a short message on the website formerly called Twitter.

For teachers: to post a microblog update on the platform formerly known as Twitter. Now largely superseded by 'post' or 'tweet' following the platform's rebranding to X.

- He used to twitter several times a day to share his political opinions.
- During the live broadcast, thousands of viewers would twitter their reactions in real-time using the official event hashtag.

### 4. bird sounds

noun · CEFR A2

the short, high sounds made by birds.

For teachers: a succession of chirps or light, tremulous sounds characteristic of small birds.

- The quiet of the morning was broken only by the soft twitter of birds.
- The distant twitter of swallows provided a peaceful soundtrack to the afternoon spent reading in the garden.

### 5. nervous excitement

noun · CEFR C1 · British English · Informal

a state of being nervous, worried, or excited.

For teachers: a state of tremulous excitement or nervous agitation. Frequently used in the idiomatic phrase 'in a twitter'.

- The news of the royal visit had the whole village in a twitter.
- The office was in a complete twitter as staff scrambled to prepare the boardroom for the unexpected arrival of the chief executive.

## Examples

- The morning twitter of birds wakes me up early.
- I could hear the constant twitter of the office staff as they gathered around the coffee machine to share the weekend's news.
- The silence of the forest was broken only by the occasional twitter of a hidden sparrow and the rustle of dry leaves underfoot.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.