darting

comparative more darting · superlative most darting

1. Characterized by sudden, quick movements.

   Near-synonym: dartlike

   3 more examples

   Its flight is fairly swift, and at times very darting or jerky.

   1905, Joseph Isaac Spadafora Whitaker, The Birds of Tunisia, page 221

   Violent darting pains in the head preventing sleep.

   1989, James Tyler Kent, Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica, page 429

   Stella was very quick, very darting.

   2012, Jessica Stirling, The Haldanes

   Synonyms: dartlike

1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of dart

plural dartings

1. countableuncountableA motion or gesture that darts.

   During this period, a different set of abnormal mouth-movements made their appearance: forced protrusions of the lips, propulsion of the tongue, and occasional choreic dartings of the tongue.

   1973, Oliver Sacks, Awakenings

   1 more example

   Jane Gibson taught the cast the movements of the various creatures they were representing: the linear shufflings of the hedgehogs, the dozy lollopings of the rabbits, the sinuous dartings of the weasel and so on.

   2000, Alan Bennett, Writing Home

2. countableuncountablebusinessThe use of darts (folds stitched on a garment).