waver
see also: Waver
Etymology

From Middle English waveren, from Old Norse vafra, akin to Old English wǣfre.

Pronunciation
  • (British) IPA: /ˈweɪ.və(ɹ)/
  • (America) IPA: /ˈweɪ.vɚ/
Verb

waver (wavers, present participle wavering; simple past and past participle wavered)

  1. (intransitive) To sway back and forth; to totter or reel.
    Flowers wavered in the breeze.
    • 1523–1525, Jean Froissart, John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Berners (translator), Froissart's Chronicles
      With banners and pennons wavering with the wind.
    • 1819 December 20 (indicated as 1820), Walter Scott, Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC ↗:
      Thou wouldst waver on one of these trees as a terror to all evil speakers against dignities.
  2. (intransitive) To flicker, glimmer, quiver, as a weak light.
  3. (intransitive) To fluctuate or vary, as commodity prices or a poorly sustained musical pitch.
  4. (intransitive) To shake or tremble, as the hands or voice.
    His voice wavered when the reporter brought up the controversial topic.
  5. (intransitive) To falter; become unsteady; begin to fail or give way.
  6. (intransitive) To be indecisive between choices; to feel or show doubt or indecision; to vacillate.
    Despite all the terrible things that happened to her, she never wavered from her beliefs.
Related terms Translations Translations Translations Translations Noun

waver (plural wavers)

  1. An act of wavering, vacillating, etc.
  2. Someone who waves, enjoys waving, etc.
    I felt encouraged by all the enthusiastic wavers in the crowd.
    The Fourth of July brings out all the flag wavers.
    Johnny is such a little waver; everyone who passes by receives his preferred greeting.
  3. Someone who specializes in waving (hair treatment).
  4. A tool that accomplishes hair waving.
  5. (UK, dialect, dated) A sapling left standing in a fallen wood.

Waver
Proper noun
  1. A river in northern Cumbria, which flows into the Solway Firth.



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