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flick·er 1 (flĭkər)
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v. flick·ered, flick·er·ing, flick·ers
v.intr.
1. To move waveringly; flutter: shadows flickering on the wall.
2.
a. To burn or shine unsteadily or fitfully: The candle flickered before sputtering out.
b. To be displayed with fluctuating brightness: A movie flickered on the screen.
3. To appear briefly: A smile flickered on her face.
v.tr.
To cause to move waveringly.
n.
1. A brief movement; a tremor.
2. An inconstant or wavering light.
3. A brief or slight sensation: a flicker of doubt.
[Middle English flikeren, to flutter, from Old English flicerian.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
flick·er 2 (flĭkər)
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n.
Any of various large woodpeckers of the genus Colaptes of the Americas, having a long tail and large feet and often foraging on the ground, especially C. auratus, the northern flicker.
[Perhaps from FLICK1.]
(click for a larger image)
flicker2
male
northern flicker
Colaptes auratus
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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