The meaning of Tottering

verb

Move in a feeble or unsteady way, especially because of old age.

Usage examples:

An elderly couple gave us a concerned glance as they doddered past

noun

A widely distributed parasitic climbing plant of the convolvulus family, with leafless threadlike stems that are attached to the host plant by means of suckers.

Usage examples:

Eventually a mat of stems forms around the host plant and the dodder loses contact with the soil.

verb

To move slowly and weakly, as if you might fall, especially because of being very old

Usage examples:

There's an old family servant who dodders around., the spindly orange vine known as dodder is a par…

verb

Lose strength or momentum.

Usage examples:

The music faltered, stopped, and started up again

verb

Move hesitatingly, as if about to give way

verb

To lose strength or purpose and pause or stop

Usage examples:

His career began to falter., faltering speech

verb

Walk in an awkward way, typically because of pain from an injury.

Usage examples:

He was hobbling around on crutches

noun

An awkward way of walking, typically due to pain from an injury.

Usage examples:

He finished the match almost reduced to a hobble

verb

Walk impeded by some physical limitation or injury

verb

(especially of something mechanical) shake and vibrate rapidly and with force.

Usage examples:

The steering wheel juddered in his hand

noun

An instance of rapid and forceful shaking and vibration.

Usage examples:

The car gave a judder

verb

(especially of a vehicle) to shake violently

Usage examples:

The train juddered to a halt., the car gave a sudden judder, then stopped dead., you can feel the b…

verb

Make an abrupt, unsteady, uncontrolled movement or series of movements; stagger.

Usage examples:

The car lurched forward

noun

An abrupt uncontrolled movement, especially an unsteady tilt or roll.

Usage examples:

The boat gave a violent lurch and he missed his footing

verb

Move suddenly or as if unable to control one's movements

verb

Move or swing back and forth in a regular rhythm.

Usage examples:

The grain pan near the front of the combine oscillates back and forth

verb

To move repeatedly from side to side or up and down between two points, or to vary between two states or amounts, or feelings or opinions

Usage examples:

She oscillates between cooperation and hostility., mealtimes strongly influence this daily oscillat…

verb

To move repeatedly from one position to another

Usage examples:

Oscillate between sth and sth the stock has spent most of the past five years oscillating between $…

verb

(especially of the earth) shake or tremble.

Usage examples:

The rumbling vibrations set the whole valley quaking

noun

An earthquake.

Usage examples:

A big quake east of the rocky mountains

verb

To shake, esp. because you are frightened

Usage examples:

He quaked with fear at the thought.

verb

Tremble or shake with a slight rapid motion.

Usage examples:

The tree's branches stopped quivering

noun

A slight trembling movement or sound, especially one caused by a sudden strong emotion.

Usage examples:

She couldn't help the quiver in her voice

noun

An archer's portable case for holding arrows.

Usage examples:

He also had a framed backpack, a utility belt containing tools, a quiver containing 14 arrows, a fl…

noun

A cylinder on which film, wire, thread, or other flexible materials can be wound.

Usage examples:

A cotton reel

verb

Wind something on to a reel by turning the reel.

Usage examples:

Sailplanes are often launched by means of a wire reeled in by a winch

verb

A winder around which flexible materials can be wound

noun

The solid mineral material forming part of the surface of the earth and other similar planets, exposed on the surface or underlying the soil.

Usage examples:

The beds of rock are slightly tilted

verb

Move gently to and fro or from side to side.

Usage examples:

She rocked the baby in her arms

noun

Rock music.

Usage examples:

The store plays a peculiar blend of 70s and 80s rock

verb

Move in a particular direction by turning over and over on an axis.

Usage examples:

The car rolled down into a ditch

noun

A cylinder formed by winding flexible material round a tube or by turning it over and over on itself without folding.

Usage examples:

A roll of carpet

verb

Move by turning over or rotating

verb

(of a structure or area of land) tremble or vibrate.

Usage examples:

Buildings shook in sacramento and tremors were felt in reno

noun

An act of shaking.

Usage examples:

She gave her red curls a shake

verb

Move or cause to move back and forth

verb

(of a person) move with a slow, shuffling, awkward gait.

Usage examples:

He shambled off down the corridor

noun

A slow, shuffling, awkward gait.

Usage examples:

They walked, side by side, in a slow shamble

verb

To walk slowly and awkwardly, without lifting your feet correctly

Usage examples:

Sick patients shambled along the hospital corridors., he was a strange, shambling figure.

verb

(of a person) tremble convulsively, typically as a result of fear or revulsion.

Usage examples:

She still shuddered at the thought of him

noun

An act of shuddering.

Usage examples:

The elevator rose with a shudder

verb

Walk by dragging one's feet along or without lifting them fully from the ground.

Usage examples:

I stepped into my skis and shuffled to the edge of the steep slope

noun

A shuffling movement, walk, or sound.

Usage examples:

There was a shuffle of approaching feet

verb

To walk by sliding your feet, rather than lifting them as you step

Usage examples:

[ i always + adv/prep ] grandfather shuffled into the kitchen, leaning on his cane., [ t ] when i a…

verb

Walk or move unsteadily, as if about to fall.

Usage examples:

He staggered to his feet, swaying a little

noun

An unsteady walk or movement.

Usage examples:

She walked with a stagger

verb

Walk with great difficulty

verb

Trip or momentarily lose one's balance; almost fall.

Usage examples:

Her foot caught in the rug and she stumbled

noun

An act of stumbling.

Usage examples:

He broke a bone in his foot in a stumble down an alpine pass

verb

Miss a step and fall or nearly fall

verb

Move or cause to move slowly or rhythmically backwards and forwards or from side to side.

Usage examples:

He swayed slightly on his feet

noun

A rhythmical movement from side to side.

Usage examples:

The easy sway of her hips

verb

Move back and forth

verb

Move or balance unsteadily; sway back and forth.

Usage examples:

She teetered after him in her high-heeled sandals

verb

To appear to be about to fall while moving or standing

Usage examples:

They teetered around the room like two toddlers, helpless with laughter., fig. the city is teeterin…

verb

(of a young child) move with short unsteady steps while learning to walk.

Usage examples:

William toddled curiously towards the tv crew

noun

A young child's unsteady walk.

Usage examples:

He watched as a visitor watches a child to whose first toddle he is being treated by a proud mother

verb

(esp. of a young child) to walk awkwardly with short steps

Usage examples:

Our two-year-old toddled after his puppy.

verb

(of a person or part of the body) shake involuntarily, typically as a result of anxiety, excitement, or frailty.

Usage examples:

Isobel was trembling with excitement

noun

(of a person, a part of the body, or the voice) shake involuntarily, typically as a result of anxiety, excitement, or frailty.

Usage examples:

Isobel was trembling with excitement

verb

Move continuously and rapidly to and fro.

Usage examples:

The cabin started to vibrate

verb

To move quickly backward and forward, or to cause something to shake

Usage examples:

[ i ] musical sounds are produced when the strings of the piano vibrate., [ i ] a thundering boom m…

verb

Move or cause to move unsteadily from side to side.

Usage examples:

The table wobbles where the leg is too short

noun

An unsteady movement from side to side.

Usage examples:

The handlebars developed a wobble

verb

To shake or move from side to side in a way that shows a lack of balance, or to cause something to do this

Usage examples:

[ i ] the table wobbles because its legs are uneven.