Moves quickly with a light, trembling, or scurrying motion, usually in short bursts; can also refer to the way bait skips across water.
Possibly from 'skitter,' which may be imitative in origin, related to 'scatter.' Used for quick, nervous movements in the 1800s, particularly common in descriptions of insects and animals.
Insects and spiders 'skitter' so recognizably that the word has become almost onomatopoetic—say it aloud and you can almost hear the rapid clicking of legs on a hard surface.
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