Of a winged animal: to flap the wings without flying; to fly with a light flapping of the wings.
To undergo divergent oscillations (potentially to the point of causing structural failure) due to a positive feedback loop between elastic deformation and aerodynamic forces.
An extremely dangerous divergent oscillation caused by a positive feedback loop between the elastic deformation of an object and the aerodynamic forces acting on it, potentially resulting in structural failure.
From Middle English floteren, from Old English floterian, flotorian, from Proto-Germanic *flutrōną, frequentative of Proto-Germanic *flutōną, equivalent to float + -er. Cognate with Low German fluttern, fluddern, German flittern, Dutch fladderen; also Albanian flutur ("butterfly"). More at float.
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