---
title: fluttering — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «fluttering» in the school dictionary: Fluttering means moving quickly and lightly up and down or to and fro, like a butterfly's wings, a flag or falling leaves. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# fluttering

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** fluttering feeling, fluttering heart, butterfly, Flags, Leaves, I · **What happens:** flutter, mean, move, fro, fall, be · **To what, where:** leaves, light nervous feeling, flowers, breeze, trees, fluttering feeling · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
«fluttering» in the school dictionary: its 3 meanings for a pupil and its 8 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [fluttering in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/fluttering.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Fluttering means moving quickly and lightly up and down or to and fro, like a butterfly's wings, a flag or falling leaves.

<!-- fold The tree, 23 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fluttering:m1:1
# text = Fluttering means moving quickly and lightly up and down or to and fro, like a butterfly's wings, a flag or falling leaves.
1	Fluttering	flutter	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	2	nsubj	_	_
2	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	moving	move	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	2	xcomp	_	_
4	quickly	quickly	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
6	lightly	lightly	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	up	up	ADV	RB	_	3	conj	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	down	down	ADV	RB	_	7	conj	_	_
10	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
11	to	to	PART	TO	_	13	mark	_	_
12	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
13	fro	fro	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	19	punct	_	_
15	like	like	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
16	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	butterfly	butterfly	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	's	's	PART	POS	_	17	case	_	_
19	wings	wing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	22	punct	_	_
21	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	22	det	_	_
22	flag	flag	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	nmod	_	_
23	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	24	cc	_	_
24	falling	fall	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	22	conj	_	_
25	leaves	leaf	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	24	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **flutter** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn modes\_of\_being\_with\_motion-47.3 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **mean** | present |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 3 | **move** *not said to happen* | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | like a butterfly's wings  a flag; quickly *property* | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP.theme V»: agent=Theme |
| 4 | **fro** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 5 | **fall** | gerund |  | leaves |  |  |  |  | vn become-109.1-1 «NP V ADJ»: agent=Patient leaf=Result |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A fluttering feeling, like butterflies in your tummy, is a light nervous feeling.

<!-- fold The tree, 13 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fluttering:m2:1
# text = A fluttering feeling, like butterflies in your tummy, is a light nervous feeling.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	fluttering	flutter	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	3	amod	_	_
3	feeling	feeling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
5	like	like	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	butterflies	butterfly	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nmod	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
9	tummy	tummy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
11	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	15	cop	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
13	light	light	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	compound	_	_
14	nervous	nervous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	amod	_	_
15	feeling	feeling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	15	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **flutter** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn modes\_of\_being\_with\_motion-47.3 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **is a** | present | a fluttering feeling like butterflies in your tummy | a light nervous feeling |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## Meaning 3 {#m3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A fluttering heart beats fast and unevenly.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fluttering:m3:1
# text = A fluttering heart beats fast and unevenly.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	fluttering	fluttering	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	heart	heart	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	beats	beat	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	fast	fast	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	4	advmod	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	unevenly	unevenly	ADV	RB	_	5	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **beat** | present | a fluttering heart |  |  |  |  | fast *property* | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A butterfly was fluttering over the flowers.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fluttering:x1:1
# text = A butterfly was fluttering over the flowers.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	butterfly	butterfly	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	fluttering	flutter	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	over	over	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	flowers	flower	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **flutter** | past · progressive | a butterfly |  |  | the flowers |  |  | vn modes\_of\_being\_with\_motion-47.3 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme over flower=Location |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Flags were fluttering in the breeze.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fluttering:x2:1
# text = Flags were fluttering in the breeze.
1	Flags	flag	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	fluttering	flutter	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	breeze	breeze	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **flutter** | past · progressive | Flags |  |  | the breeze |  |  | vn modes\_of\_being\_with\_motion-47.3 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in breeze=Location |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Leaves came fluttering down from the trees.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fluttering:x3:1
# text = Leaves came fluttering down from the trees.
1	Leaves	leaf	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	came	come	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	fluttering	flutter	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	2	xcomp	_	_
4	down	down	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
5	from	from	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	trees	tree	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **come** | past | Leaves |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **flutter down** | gerund | Leaves *not said here* |  |  | the trees |  | down *property* | vn modes\_of\_being\_with\_motion-47.3 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
I had a fluttering feeling before my test.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fluttering:x4:1
# text = I had a fluttering feeling before my test.
1	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	had	have	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	fluttering	flutter	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	amod	_	_
5	feeling	feeling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
6	before	before	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	test	test	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | past | I | a fluttering feeling |  |  | before my test |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent feeling=Patient |
| 2 | **flutter** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn modes\_of\_being\_with\_motion-47.3 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **test** |  | my |  |  |  |  |  | nom test «cognition transitive»: poss=agent |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The baby bird was fluttering its wings.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fluttering:x5:1
# text = The baby bird was fluttering its wings.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	baby	baby	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	bird	bird	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
4	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
5	fluttering	flutter	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
6	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	wings	wing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **flutter** | past · progressive | the baby bird | bird's wings |  |  |  |  | vn modes\_of\_being\_with\_motion-47.3 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location wing=Theme |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Her eyelashes were fluttering.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fluttering:x6:1
# text = Her eyelashes were fluttering.
1	Her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	eyelashes	eyelash	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
3	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	fluttering	flutter	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **flutter** | past · progressive | Her eyelashes |  |  |  |  |  | vn modes\_of\_being\_with\_motion-47.3 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## Example 7 {#x7}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Moths kept fluttering round the lamp.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fluttering:x7:1
# text = Moths kept fluttering round the lamp.
1	Moths	moth	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	kept	keep	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	fluttering	flutter	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	2	xcomp	_	_
4	round	round	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	lamp	lamp	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **keep** | past | Moths |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **flutter** | gerund | Moths *not said here* |  |  |  |  | round the lamp | vn modes\_of\_being\_with\_motion-47.3 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## Example 8 {#x8}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
“Why, indeed?” said a Butterfly, who was fluttering about after a sunbeam.

<!-- fold The tree, 12 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fluttering:x8:1
# text = “Why, indeed?” said a Butterfly, who was fluttering about after a sunbeam.
1	“	"	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	7	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	_	_
4	indeed	indeed	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	”	"	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	_
7	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	Butterfly	Butterfly	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
11	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	13	nsubj	_	_
12	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	13	aux	_	_
13	fluttering	flutter	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	7	ccomp	_	_
14	about	about	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
15	after	after	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	sunbeam	sunbeam	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | past |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **flutter** | past · progressive | a Butterfly |  |  |  | after a sunbeam | about *property* | vn modes\_of\_being\_with\_motion-47.3 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

<!-- div src -->

**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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