darter
|dar-ter|
🇺🇸
/ˈdɑrtər/
🇬🇧
/ˈdɑːtə/
one that darts; moves with a quick, sudden motion
Etymology
'darter' originates from English, formed by adding the agent suffix '-er' to the verb 'dart', where 'dart' comes from Old French 'darder' meaning 'to thrust' or 'to throw' (ultimately from Late Latin *dardare* or an earlier Celtic source).
'darter' developed as an agent noun from the verb 'dart' (Middle English forms reflecting Old French influence); over time the generic agent sense ('one that darts') came to be applied specifically to animals named for their rapid, darting movements (notably certain birds and fishes), yielding the modern senses 'darter' (bird) and 'darter' (fish).
Initially it meant 'one that darts' (an agent noun formed from the verb 'dart'); over time the term specialized to refer to particular animals whose characteristic motion is a quick, darting movement (the aquatic bird and certain small freshwater fishes).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a long-necked aquatic bird of the genus Anhinga (also called a snakebird) that swims with much of its body submerged and darts its neck to catch fish.
A darter surfaced with a fish in its beak.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a small, slender freshwater fish (especially in North America, subfamily Etheostomatinae) noted for quick, darting movements along stream bottoms.
The stream was full of darters flitting between the stones.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/08 22:41