flusk

Meanings

1. To make a whirring or fluttering sound.
2. To fly at; ruffle up the feathers.
3. To quarrel.
4. To startle or confuse.

1. A whirring sound.
2. A flutter.
3. A quarrel, contention, skirmish, fight.

Etymology

Uncertain. Likely from Middle English *flusken, a variant of flusshen (“to move rapidly, dart”), the same origin as flush. Perhaps from Old Norse *flugsa (“to flap, flutter”), from Proto-Germanic *flugisōną (“to flutter”); compare Norwegian Nynorsk flugsa (“to flutter”), Norwegian Bokmål flugse (“to flutter”). Compare also Norwegian flogsa, flogse (“to run around, frolic, flirt”), Faroese flogsa (“to gad about, solicit”).