Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Having or feeling nervous unease.
  • adjective Marked by jittering movements.

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

  • adjective being in a tense state; easily upset or frightened; -- of a person.

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

  • adjective nervy, jumpy, on edge

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective characterized by jerky movements
  • adjective being in a tense state

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Gord stood nearby in jittery indecision — encouraged by hunger, restrained by fear.

    1977, part 2: The Lord of the Rinky-Dink superversive 2007

  • The technology was so named because it transmits stolen data in jittery chunks — by adding nearly imperceptible processing delays after a keystroke, and for the jitters such a bug could inspire in anyone with secure data to safeguard.

    JitterBugs: A New Computer Threat | Impact Lab 2006

  • They are named "JitterBugs," for both the way they transmit stolen data in "jittery" chunks and for the "jitters" they could inspire in anyone with secure data to safeguard.

    After me comes a builder. 2006

  • Altogether an unimpressive performance - looked jittery from the start and did not play with confidence or purpose.

    Red Line Report by Kyle Woodlief 2000

  • This mix makes for a short term jittery market and certainly a flexible approach will remain.

    FXstreet.com 2008

  • The less-than-panicky call it jittery response by world markets on Monday to debt-talk failures has strengthened the right-wing argument that a default is no catastrophe.

    Craig Crawford: Y2K Syndrome Infects Debt Debate Craig Crawford 2011

  • The less-than-panicky call it jittery response by world markets on Monday to debt-talk failures has strengthened the right-wing argument that a default is no catastrophe.

    Craig Crawford: Y2K Syndrome Infects Debt Debate Craig Crawford 2011

  • The less-than-panicky call it jittery response by world markets on Monday to debt-talk failures has strengthened the right-wing argument that a default is no catastrophe.

    Craig Crawford: Y2K Syndrome Infects Debt Debate Craig Crawford 2011

  • The less-than-panicky call it jittery response by world markets on Monday to debt-talk failures has strengthened the right-wing argument that a default is no catastrophe.

    The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com Craig Crawford 2011

  • He was close to a breakdown by January 1943, and his weak performance briefing the Com bined Chiefs of Staff at the Casablanca conference — Roosevelt thought him "jittery" — nearly led to his resignation.

    Eisenhower's Pit Bull Antony Beevor 2010

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