Flap vs. Flutter — What's the Difference?

(of a bird) move (its wings) up and down when flying or preparing to fly

(of a bird or other winged creature) fly unsteadily or hover by flapping the wings quickly and lightly

Be agitated or panicky

An act of fluttering

A thin, flat piece of cloth, paper, metal, etc. that is hinged or attached on one side only and covers an opening or hangs down from something

A small bet

An act of flapping something, typically a wing or arm, up and down or from side to side

To wave or flap rapidly in an irregular manner

A state of agitation; a panic

To fly by a quick light flapping of the wings.

A large broad mushroom.

To flap the wings without flying.

A type of consonant produced by allowing the tip of the tongue to strike the palate very briefly.

To move or fall in a manner suggestive of tremulous flight

A projecting or hanging piece usually attached to something on one side and often intended to protect or cover

To vibrate or beat rapidly or erratically

Either of the folded ends of a book jacket that fit inside the front and back covers.

To move quickly in a nervous, restless, or excited fashion; flit.

A variable control surface on the trailing edge of an aircraft wing, used primarily to increase lift or drag.

To cause to flutter

(Medicine) A piece of tissue that has been partially detached and used in surgical grafting to fill an adjacent defect or cover the cut end of a bone after amputation.

The act of fluttering.

The act of waving or fluttering

A condition of nervous excitement or agitation

The sound produced by this motion.

A commotion; a stir.

(Linguistics) A sound articulated by a single, quick touch of the tongue against the teeth or alveolar ridge, as (t) in water. Also called tap1.

(Medicine) Abnormally rapid pulsation, especially of the atria or ventricles of the heart.

(Informal) A commotion or disturbance

Rapid fluctuation in the pitch of a sound reproduction resulting from variations in the speed of the recording or reproducing equipment.

(Archaic) A blow given with something flat; a slap.

Chiefly British A small bet; a gamble

To move (wings or arms, for example) up and down.

(intransitive) To flap or wave quickly but irregularly.

To cause to move or sway with a fluttering or waving motion

(intransitive) Of a winged animal: to flap the wings without flying; to fly with a light flapping of the wings.

To cause to strike against something

To undergo divergent oscillations (potentially to the point of causing structural failure) due to a positive feedback loop between elastic deformation and aerodynamic forces.

To move wings or the arms up and down.

(transitive) To cause something to flap.

To fly by beating the air with the wings

(transitive) To drive into disorder; to throw into confusion.

To move or sway while fixed at one edge or corner; flutter

(intransitive) To be in a state of agitation or uncertainty.

Anything broad and flexible that hangs loose, or that is attached by one side or end and is easily moved.

To be frivolous.

A hinged leaf.

To subject to a lie detector test.

(aviation) A hinged surface on the trailing edge of the wings of an aeroplane, used to increase lift and drag.

The act of fluttering; quick and irregular motion.

A side fin of a ray.

A state of agitation.

The motion of anything broad and loose, or a sound or stroke made with it.

An abnormal rapid pulsation of the heart.

A controversy, scandal, stir, or upset.

An extremely dangerous divergent oscillation caused by a positive feedback loop between the elastic deformation of an object and the aerodynamic forces acting on it, potentially resulting in rapid structural failure.

(phonetics) A consonant sound made by a single muscle contraction, such as the sound /ɾ/ in the standard American English pronunciation of body.

(British) A small bet or risky investment.

(surgery) A piece of tissue incompletely detached from the body, as an intermediate stage of plastic surgery.

A hasty game of cards or similar.

The labia, the vulva.

The rapid variation of signal parameters, such as amplitude, phase, and frequency.

(obsolete) A blow or slap (especially to the face).

To vibrate or move quickly; as, a bird flutters its wings.

(obsolete) A young prostitute.

To drive in disorder; to throw into confusion.

(transitive) To move (something broad and loose) up and down.

The act of fluttering; quick and irregular motion; vibration; as, the flutter of a fan.

(intransitive) To move loosely back and forth.

Hurry; tumult; agitation of the mind; confusion; disorder.

Of a resource or network destination: to be advertised as being available and then unavailable (or available by different routes) in rapid succession.

The act of moving back and forth

Anything broad and limber that hangs loose, or that is attached by one side or end and is easily moved; as, the flap of a garment.

Abnormally rapid beating of the auricles of the heart (especially in a regular rhythm); can result in heart block

A hinged leaf, as of a table or shutter.

A disorderly outburst or tumult;

The motion of anything broad and loose, or a stroke or sound made with it; as, the flap of a sail or of a wing.

The motion made by flapping up and down

A disease in the lips of horses.

Move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart

A movable part of an airplane wing, used to increase lift or drag, especially when taking off or landing. used often in the plural.

Move back and forth very rapidly;

To beat with a flap; to strike.

Beat rapidly;

To move, as something broad and flaplike; as, to flap the wings; to let fall, as the brim of a hat.

Wink briefly;

To move as do wings, or as something broad or loose; to fly with wings beating the air.

To fall and hang like a flap, as the brim of a hat, or other broad thing.

Any broad thin and limber covering attached at one edge; hangs loose or projects freely;

An excited state of agitation;

The motion made by flapping up and down

A movable piece of tissue partly connected to the body

A movable airfoil that is part of an aircraft wing; used to increase lift or drag

Move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion;

Move noisily;

Move with a thrashing motion;

Move with a flapping motion;

Make a fuss; be agitated

Pronounce with a flap, of alveolar sounds