Stammer

//ˈstæmɚ// name, noun, verb

name, noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The involuntary repetition of a sound in speech.

    "She said goodbye in a stammer."

  2. 2
    a speech disorder involving hesitations and involuntary repetitions of certain sounds wordnet
  3. 3
    A speech defect whereby someone speaks with a stammer
Verb
  1. 1
    To keep repeating a particular sound involuntarily during speech. intransitive
  2. 2
    speak haltingly wordnet
  3. 3
    To utter with a stammer, or with timid hesitancy. transitive

    "He blushed, and stammered a few words of apology."

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname from German.

Synonyms

All synonyms
stutterfalterstutterhackerbalbucinatebalbutiate

Example

More examples

"The new boy had a nervous stammer."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English stameren, from Old English stamerian, from Proto-West Germanic *stamrōn, from Proto-Germanic *stamrōną (“to stammer”). Compare German stammeln, Dutch stameren, Old Norse stammr. Doublet of stumble.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from German Stammer.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.