flicker

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• rhymes with -ɪkə(ɹ)
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• Received-Pronunciation: /ˈflɪkə/
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• Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• General-American: /ˈflɪkɚ/
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• General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• homophone: Flickr
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• CMU ARPABET: F L IH1 K ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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From Middle English flikeren (“to flutter”), from Old English flicerian, flicorian (“to flutter”), from Proto-West Germanic *flikurōn. Akin to Saterland Frisian flikkerje (“to flicker”), West Frisian flikkerje (“to flicker”), Dutch flikkeren (“to flicker, flutter”), German Low German flickern (“to light up, flash, flicker”). Compare Old English flacor (“flickering, fluttering”), German flackern (“to flicker, flutter”), Old English flēogan (“to fly”).

1808, American English, probably echoic of the bird's call, or from the white spotted plumage which appears to flicker. It is also true that the bird vigorously flicks away treebark, woodchips, and ground detritus while feeding, which may possibly explain the name.

Etymology tree English flick Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English flicker From flick + -er.

125 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Arabic: وَمِيض (wamīḍ) — an unsteady flash of light
• Arabic: وَمْضَة (wamḍa) — an unsteady flash of light
• Basque: ñirñir — an unsteady flash of light
• Bulgarian: блещукане (bleštukane) — an unsteady flash of light
• Bulgarian: мъждукане (mǎždukane) — an unsteady flash of light
• Danish: flimren — an unsteady flash of light
• Esperanto: flagreti — an unsteady flash of light
• Finnish: lepatus — an unsteady flash of light
• French: papillotement — an unsteady flash of light
• French: scintillement — an unsteady flash of light
• Georgian: ციმციმი (cimcimi) — an unsteady flash of light
• Georgian: ციალი (ciali) — an unsteady flash of light
• Georgian: გაელვება (gaelveba) — an unsteady flash of light
• Georgian: ელვარება (elvareba) — an unsteady flash of light
• Georgian: აელვარება (aelvareba) — an unsteady flash of light
• Georgian: კრთომა (ḳrtoma) — an unsteady flash of light
• Georgian: გამოკრთომა (gamoḳrtoma) — an unsteady flash of light
• Georgian: ბჟუტვა (bžuṭva) — an unsteady flash of light
• Georgian: კვესა (ḳvesa) — an unsteady flash of light
• Georgian: კამკამი (ḳamḳami) — an unsteady flash of light
• Georgian: კაშკაში (ḳašḳaši) — an unsteady flash of light
• Georgian: ბრწყინვა (brc̣q̇inva) — an unsteady flash of light
• Georgian: კიაფი (ḳiapi) — an unsteady flash of light
• German: Flackern — an unsteady flash of light
• German: Flimmern — an unsteady flash of light
• Italian: guizzo — an unsteady flash of light
• Italian: tremolio — an unsteady flash of light
• Māori: tiritiri — an unsteady flash of light
• Norwegian: flimre — an unsteady flash of light
• Polish: błysk — an unsteady flash of light
• Portuguese: bruxuleio — an unsteady flash of light
• Romanian: licăr — an unsteady flash of light
• Romanian: scânteiere — an unsteady flash of light
• Romanian: licărire — an unsteady flash of light
• Romanian: sclipire — an unsteady flash of light
• Russian: мерца́ние (mercánije) — an unsteady flash of light
• Russian: вспы́шка (vspýška) — an unsteady flash of light
• Spanish: titileo — an unsteady flash of light
• Spanish: titilación — an unsteady flash of light
• Spanish: centelleo — an unsteady flash of light
• Swedish: flimmer — an unsteady flash of light
• Ukrainian: мерехті́ння (merextínnja) — an unsteady flash of light
• Arabic: طَرْفَة (ṭarfa) — a short moment
• Arabic: وَمْضَة (wamḍa) — a short moment
• Armenian: նշույլ (nšuyl) — a short moment
• Danish: glimt — a short moment
• Finnish: väläys — a short moment
• Finnish: häivähdys — a short moment
• Italian: fremito — a short moment
• Polish: mgnienie — a short moment
• Portuguese: instante — a short moment
• Romanian: clipă — a short moment
• Russian: мгнове́ние (mgnovénije) — a short moment
• Russian: миг (mig) — a short moment
• Swedish: glimt — a short moment
• Swedish: ögonblick — a short moment
• Armenian: ամերիկյան փայտփորիկ (amerikyan pʻaytpʻorik) — Small woodpecker of the genus Colaptes
• Finnish: kultatikka — Small woodpecker of the genus Colaptes
• German: Goldspecht — Small woodpecker of the genus Colaptes
• Hungarian: küllő — Small woodpecker of the genus Colaptes
• Polish: dzięcioł — Small woodpecker of the genus Colaptes
• Potawatomi: wesawangé — Small woodpecker of the genus Colaptes
• Russian: дя́тел (djátel) — Small woodpecker of the genus Colaptes
• Arabic: رَفْرَفَ (rafrafa) — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Arabic: خفَقَ — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Arabic: يَخْتَلِج (yaḵtalij) — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Arabic: يَرْتَعِش (yartaʕiš) — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Bulgarian: блещукам (bleštukam) — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Bulgarian: мъждукам (mǎždukam) — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Catalan: vacil·lar — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Catalan: parpellejar — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Catalan: pipellejar — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Chinese Mandarin: 閃爍 /闪烁 (shǎnshuò) — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Chinese Mandarin: 搖曳 /摇曳 (yáoyè) — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Danish: flimre — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Esperanto: flagri — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Finnish: lepattaa — to burn or shine unsteadily
• French: vaciller — to burn or shine unsteadily
• French: papilloter — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Georgian: ციმციმებს (cimcimebs) — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Georgian: იელვებს (ielvebs) — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Georgian: კრთის (ḳrtis) — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Georgian: კრთება (ḳrteba) — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Georgian: ბჟუტავს (bžuṭavs) — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Georgian: ციალებს (cialebs) — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Georgian: კამკამებს (ḳamḳamebs) — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Georgian: კიაფობს (ḳiapobs) — to burn or shine unsteadily
• German: flackern — to burn or shine unsteadily
• German: flimmern — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Greenlandic: anorliorpoq — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Italian: guizzare — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Italian: tremolare — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Japanese: 揺らめく (yurameku) — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Māori: teretere — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Māori: pūrēhua — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Māori: kōpura — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Persian: سو سو زدن (su-su zadan) — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Persian: لپیدن (lepidan) — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Portuguese: tremular — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Portuguese: bruxulear — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Romanian: licări — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Romanian: pâlpâi — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Russian: мерца́ть (mercátʹ) — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Spanish: titilar — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Spanish: centellear — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Swedish: flimra — to burn or shine unsteadily
• Bulgarian: проблясвам (probljasvam) — to keep going on and off
• Bulgarian: трепкам (trepkam) — to keep going on and off
• Catalan: pampalluguejar — to keep going on and off
• Chinese Mandarin: 若隱若現 /若隐若现 (ruòyǐnruòxiàn) — to keep going on and off
• Chinese Mandarin: 忽隱忽現 /忽隐忽现 (hūyǐnhūxiàn) — to keep going on and off
• Danish: blinke — to keep going on and off
• Finnish: välkkyä — to keep going on and off
• Finnish: väristä — to keep going on and off
• French: scintiller — to keep going on and off
• Greenlandic: angaluppoq — to keep going on and off
• Italian: sfarfallare — to keep going on and off
• Polish: migać — to keep going on and off
• Polish: migotać — to keep going on and off
• Portuguese: piscar — to keep going on and off
• Russian: мига́ть (migátʹ) — to keep going on and off
• Spanish: titilar — to keep going on and off
• Spanish: centellear — to keep going on and off
• Swedish: glimta — to keep going on and off
• Swedish: blinka — to keep going on and off