chutter

English

Etymology

Imitative.

Noun

chutter (plural chutters)

1. An alarm call used by vervets to warn of the presence of a snake.
   • 1985, Alison Jolly, The Evolution of Primate Behavior, page 75:

     Vervet monkeys have several different sorts of call, including "leopard alarm barks," "eagle rraups," and "snake chutters" (Struhsaker, 1967).

   • 1995, Stanisław Puppel, The Biology of Language, page 3:

     The vervet's main claim to fame, however, lies in its alarm calls, in which it distinguishes between different types of predator: a chutter warns of the presence of a snake; a rraup is uttered when an eagle is spotted; a chirp is used for lions […]

Verb

chutter (third-person singular simple present chutters, present participle chuttering, simple past and past participle chuttered)

1. To make an alarm call of this kind.

Anagrams

• Utrecht