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Flicker vs Unflickering - What's the difference?

flicker | unflickering |

As a noun flicker

is an unsteady flash of light.

As a verb flicker

is to burn or shine unsteadily. To burn or shine with a wavering light.

As an adjective unflickering is

not flickering.

flicker

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)
  • An unsteady flash of light.
  • A short moment.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
    • , chapter=8 citation , passage=It was a casual sneer, obviously one of a long line. There was hatred behind it, but of a quiet, chronic type, nothing new or unduly virulent, and he was taken aback by the flicker of amazed incredulity that passed over the younger man's ravaged face.}}

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (lb) To burn or shine unsteadily. To burn or shine with a wavering light.
  • * (1809-1892)
  • *:The shadows flicker to and fro.
  • *
  • *:Long after his cigar burnt bitter, he sat with eyes fixed on the blaze. When the flames at last began to flicker and subside, his lids fluttered, then drooped; but he had lost all reckoning of time when he opened them again to find Miss Erroll in furs and ball-gown kneeling on the hearth and heaping kindling on the coals,.
  • (lb) To keep going on and off; to appear and disappear for short moments; to flutter.
  • *1898 , , (Moonfleet), Ch.3:
  • *:There I lay on one side with a thin and rotten plank between the dead man and me, dazed with the blow to my head, and breathing hard; while the glow of torches as they came down the passage reddened and flickered on the roof above.
  • *1908 , (Kenneth Grahame), (The Wind in the Willows)
  • *:The ruddy brick floor smiled up at the smoky ceiling; the oaken settles, shiny with long wear, exchanged cheerful glances with each other; plates on the dresser grinned at pots on the shelf, and the merry firelight flickered and played over everything without distinction.
  • To flutter; to flap the wings without flying.
  • *(John Dryden) (1631-1700)
  • *:And flickering on her nest made short essays to sing.

    • Etymology 2

    1808, American English, probably echoic of the bird's call, or from the white spotted plumage which appears to flicker.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (US) A certain type of small woodpecker, especially of the genus Colaptes
    • See also
    * (wikipedia "flicker")

    Etymology 3

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • One who flicks.
    • Derived terms
    * bean flicker

    unflickering

    English

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Not flickering.
  • * 1950 , J. L. Jessup, Faith of Our Feminists
    • Oliver Treadwell represents Miss Glasgow's apotheosis of compromise, and the more shoddy in the unflickering light of his wife's devotion.