Etymology

flittermouse

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Today it means: A bat (a flying mammal). Full definition →

Middle Dutch fleddermuys
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The story

  1. Middle Dutch · derived fromfleddermuys
  2. English todayflittermouse

From flitter + mouse (compare flickermouse, flindermouse), after Middle Dutch fleddermuys, vledermuys, vlermuys (Modern Dutch vleermuis), from vledderen, vlederen (“to flutter, float, hover”) + muys (“mouse”). Cognate with West Frisian flearmûs (“bat”), Middle Low German vledermūs (“bat”), German Fledermaus (“bat”), Swedish fladdermus (“bat”) and flädermus (“bat”). More at flitter, flutter, flatter, mouse.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.