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Falter
Definitions
- 1 An unsteadiness.
"Tom, who isn't paying much attention, is suddenly caught by the falter in his voice as he reads the two lines—"
- 2 the act of pausing uncertainly wordnet
- 1 To waver or be unsteady; to weaken or trail off.
"He found his legs falter."
- 2 speak haltingly wordnet
- 3 To stammer; to utter with hesitation, or in a weak and trembling manner. ambitransitive
"And here he faltered forth his last farewell."
- 4 walk unsteadily, tripping repeatedly wordnet
- 5 To fail in distinctness or regularity of exercise; said of the mind or of thought.
"Here indeed the power of distinctly conceiving of space and distance falters."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 move hesitatingly, as if about to give way wordnet
- 7 To stumble.
- 8 be unsure or weak wordnet
- 9 To lose faith or vigor; to doubt or abandon (a cause). figuratively
"And remember, comrades, your resolution must never falter."
- 10 To hesitate in purpose or action.
"Ere her native king / Shall falter under foul rebellion's arms."
- 11 To cleanse or sift, as barley.
"Barley[…]clean falter'd from Hairs"
Etymology
From Middle English falteren (“to stagger; be unsteady, tremble, quiver; to stammer; be entangled, get caught”), further origin unknown. Probably from a North Germanic source such as Old Norse faltrask (“to hesitate, be puzzled, be encumbered”). May also be a frequentative of fold, although the change from d to t is unusual.
From Middle English falteren (“to stagger; be unsteady, tremble, quiver; to stammer; be entangled, get caught”), further origin unknown. Probably from a North Germanic source such as Old Norse faltrask (“to hesitate, be puzzled, be encumbered”). May also be a frequentative of fold, although the change from d to t is unusual.
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