jitterbug

[ jit-er-buhg ]
/ ˈdʒɪt ərˌbʌg /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR jitterbug ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a strenuously acrobatic dance consisting of a few standardized steps augmented by twirls, splits, somersaults, etc., popular especially in the early 1940s and performed chiefly to boogie-woogie and swing.
a person who dances the jitterbug.

verb (used without object), jit·ter·bugged, jit·ter·bug·ging.

to dance the jitterbug.

Origin of jitterbug

An Americanism dating back to 1930–35; jitter + bug1

OTHER WORDS FROM jitterbug

jit·ter·bug·ger, noun

Words nearby jitterbug

jird, jism, jit, jitney, jitter, jitterbug, jittery, jiujitsu, jiulong, jiva, jivaro

Words related to jitterbug

disco, waltz, rock, samba, tango, tap, skip, jump, shimmy, trip, caper, jig, leap, hop, frolic, sway, cavort, hustle, whirl, strut

Example sentences from the Web for jitterbug

British Dictionary definitions for jitterbug

jitterbug
/ (ˈdʒɪtəˌbʌɡ) /

noun

a fast jerky American dance, usually to a jazz accompaniment, that was popular in the 1940s
a person who dances the jitterbug
a highly nervous or excitable person

verb -bugs, -bugging or -bugged

(intr) to perform such a dance