Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A bat; a reremouse; a flindermouse.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Zoöl.) A bat; -- called also flickermouse, flindermouse, and flintymouse.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun zoology A bat; a reremouse; flindermouse.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From flitter +‎ mouse (compare flickermouse, flindermouse), after Middle Dutch fleddermuys, vledermuys, vlermuys (Modern Dutch vledermuis), from Middle Dutch vledderen, vlederen ("to flutter, float, hover") + muys ("mouse"). Cognate with West Frisian flearmûs ("bat"), Middle Low German vledermūs ("bat"), German Fledermaus ("bat"), Swedish flädermus ("bat"). More at flitter, flutter, flatter, mouse.

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Examples

Comments

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  • When the moon shines o'er the corn

    And the beeetle drones his horn,

    And the flittermice swift fly,

    And the nightjars swooping cry,

    And the young hares run and leap,

    We waken from our sleep.

    - William Sharp, 'The Field Mouse'.

    November 8, 2008

  • It's a form of eponymous flattery
    To call a cat habitat "cattery."
    Since flittermice people
    So many a steeple
    Then shouldn't a belfry be "battery?"

    April 17, 2014