skitter

noun · Dialect

It sounds exactly like the nervous patter of tiny feet on a tin roof.

A light, swift shower of rain often accompanied by wind.

In the wild

“We had a brief skitter of rain while walking the moors, but the sun was back before we reached the inn.”

Origin

Recorded in Wright's English Dialect Dictionary, it likely shares roots with the verb skitter, implying a quick, darting motion.