Forms: 4–5 chiter, cheter 5 chyter, 6 chydder, 6–7 chytter, 6– chitter. [A parallel form to CHATTER, expressing a more attenuated action of the same kind: cf. drop, drip, chop, chip, jabber, jibber, etc. Cf. also CHIT v.2]
1. Of birds: To utter a short series of sharp thin sounds, to twitter. Formerly used also in the senses chatter, and chirp. Obs. or ? dial.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Miller’s T., 72. Of hir song, it was so lowd and yerne As eny swalwe chitering on a berne. Ibid., Chan. Yeom. Prol. & T., 844. They mowe wel chiteren as þat doon Iayes.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 239, in Cath. Angl., 64, note. With mouth than chetereth the stare.
1401. Pol. Poems (1859), II. 40. Chyteryng as chowȝes.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 315/1. The Swalowes chyteryd and Songe.
1530. Palsgr., 484/2. I chytter, as a yonge byrde dothe before she can synge her tune.
1600. F. Walker, Sp. Mandeville, 134 b. A Sparrow, chirping and chyttering to other Sparrowes.
1821. Clare, Vill. Minstr., I. 91. No music’s heard the fields among; Save where the hedge-chats chittering play.
b. trans. (also with out).
1393. Gower, Conf., II. 328. She … chitereth out in her langage What falshede is in mariage.
1789. D. Davidson, Seasons, 129 (Jam.). They chitter their farewell.
2. To shiver with cold, to tremble. dial. and Sc.
1526. Skelton, Magnyf. Se, for God avowe, for cold as I chydder.
a. 1796. Burns, Cauld blaws the wind. The birds sit chittering in the thorn.
3. To ‘chatter’ as the teeth. Now Sc.
1535. Fisher, Wks. (1876), 424. The coldnesse of the snow shal make their teeth for to gnashe and chytter in theyr heades.
1728. Ramsay, Gentle Sheph., V. i. Your teeth they chitter, hair like bristles stan.
a. 1822. Sir A. Boswell, Skeldon Haughs. Some teeth in angry fit may chitter.
