Definition of "darter" [dart•er]

• One that moves suddenly and rapidly. (noun)
• See anhinga. (noun)
• Any of various small, often brilliantly colored freshwater fishes of the family Percidae, closely related to the perches and found in eastern North America. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The diamond darter is a close relative of the crystal darter (Crystallaria asprella), a small fish found in the drainage basins of the Mississippi River."
• "Hollin and his darter was a-fixin 'away, sorter like they was glad, but uvry now and then John kep' flingin 'out some uv his slang at' um 'fur fixin' so much fur them crippled creeturs, that had 'bout as much business a-marryin 'as two' possums. '"
• "The fish are the spotted darter, which is endangered, and the Tippecanoe and bluebreast darters, which are threatened."