A bat, especially one of the smaller species known for their quick, erratic flying movements.
From flicker plus mouse; an Old English or Germanic compound term where flickermouse literally means a mouse-like creature that flickers or moves erratically, referring to how bats dart through the air unpredictably.
Flickermouse is a centuries-old English dialect word for bat that perfectly captures how strange and alien these creatures seemed before echolocation was understood—they didn't just fly, they flickered like supernatural shadows.
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