teeter
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teeter — [tēt′ər] vi. [dial. titter < ME titeren < ON titra, to tremble, akin to Ger zittern < redupl. of IE base * drā , to step > TRAP1, TRIP] to totter, wobble, waver, etc. vt. to cause to teeter n. short for TEETER TOTTER … English World dictionary
teeter — (v.) 1843, to seesaw, alteration of M.E. titter move unsteadily, probably from O.N. titra to shake, shiver, totter, related to Ger. zittern to tremble. Noun teeter totter see saw is attested from 1905 … Etymology dictionary
teeter — [v] wobble back and forth balance, dangle, falter, flutter, lurch, pivot, quiver, reel, rock, seesaw, stagger, stammer, stumble, sway, teeter totter*, topple, totter, tremble, tremble precariously, waver, weave, wiggle; concept 145 Ant. stabilize … New thesaurus
Teeter — Tee ter, v. i. & t. [imp. & p. p. {Teetered}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Teetering}.] [Prov. E. titter to tremble, to seesaw; cf. Icel. titra to tremble, OHG. zittar[=o]n, G. zittern.] To move up and down on the ends of a balanced plank, or the like, as… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
teeter — vb *shake, tremble, quake, totter, quiver, shiver, shudder, quaver, wobble, shimmy, dither … New Dictionary of Synonyms
teeter — ► VERB 1) move or balance unsteadily. 2) waver between different courses. ORIGIN Old Norse, shake, shiver … English terms dictionary
teeter — [[t]ti͟ːtə(r)[/t]] teeters, teetering, teetered 1) VERB (emphasis) Teeter is used in expressions such as teeter on the brink and teeter on the edge to emphasize that something seems to be in a very unstable situation or position. [V on n] Three… … English dictionary
teeter — Synonyms and related words: Lissajous figure, alternate, alternation, back and fill, back and forth, balance, battledore and shuttlecock, change, come and go, coming and going, cower, dither, dodder, ebb and flow, equivocate, falter, flounder,… … Moby Thesaurus
teeter — UK [ˈtiːtə(r)] / US [ˈtɪtər] verb [intransitive] Word forms teeter : present tense I/you/we/they teeter he/she/it teeters present participle teetering past tense teetered past participle teetered to stand or move in a way that is not steady and… … English dictionary
teeter — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) v. i. seesaw, rock, sway, totter, tremble; hesitate, vacillate. See oscillation, doubt. II (Roget s IV) v. Syn. tremble precariously, seesaw, totter, wobble, sway, waver, dangle, reel, stagger, quiver,… … English dictionary for students
