vacillate

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WOTD - 10 July 2007    

Contents

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

From Latin vacillātum, supine form of vacillō (“‘sway, waver’”).

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Verb

Infinitive
to vacillate

Third person singular
vacillates

Simple past
vacillated

Past participle
vacillated

Present participle
vacillating

to vacillate (third-person singular simple present vacillates, present participle vacillating, simple past and past participle vacillated)

  1. (intransitive) To sway unsteadily from one side to the other; oscillate.
    • 1910: Jack London, The Heathen
      Its [the barometer's] normal register in the Paumotus [the Tuamotus] was 29.90, and it was quite customary to see it vacillate between 29.85 and 30.00, or even 30.05; [...]
  2. (intransitive) To swing indecisively from one course of action or opinion to another.
    • 2004: Chris Wallace, Character: Profiles in Presidential Courage
      On the streets of Berlin, Ruth and her compatriots vacillated "between hope and despair."

[edit] Synonyms

[edit] Related terms

[edit] Translations

to sway unsteadily from one side to the other
to swing from one course of action or opinion to another
to be changeable, or inconsistent in speech or action
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[edit] External links

[edit] Anagrams

[edit] Italian

[edit] Verb

vacillate

  1. Second-person plural present tense of vacillare.
  2. Second-person plural imperative of vacillare.
  3. Feminine plural of vacillato.
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