Definition of twitter

The word "twitter" has an interesting origin story that dates back to the late 19th century. The term "twitter" originally referred to the loud and distinctive chirping sound that birds make. It comes from the Old English word "twitorn," which is a combination of "twit," meaning "to chirp or call out," and "orn," meaning "bird" or "avian creature." Over time, the word "twitter" began to take on new meanings. By the early 20th century, it was being used to describe rapid, light, or fluttery movements. For example, in 1921, a newspaper referred to a woman's dress as "strung to the knee in gay twitters of silk and feather." The modern use of "twitter" to describe a social media platform can be traced back to 2006, when a website called Twttr was launched. The site was intended to be a simple text messaging service that allowed users to communicate in short "tweets" of 140 characters or less. The name "Twttr" was chosen because it was short, easy to remember, and represented the idea of communicating in quick, concise bursts. The popularity of Twttr (which would later become Twitter) helped to popularize the word "twitter" as a verb, meaning to communicate quickly and frequently via the platform. As of 2021, Twitter has over 330 million monthly active users and continues to be a major force in the world of social media.