waver

English

Etymology

From Old Norse vafra (“to flicker”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈweɪ.və(ɹ)/, X-SAMPA: /"weI.v@(r)/
• (US) IPA: /ˈweɪ.vɚ/, X-SAMPA: /"weI.v@`/
• Rhymes: -eɪvə(r)
• Homophone: waiver

Verb

waver (third-person singular simple present 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.

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.
   • 1903, Bill Arp, From the Uncivil War to Date

     ...and that when a man was in the wrong his courage wavered, and his nerves became unsteady, and so he couldn't fight to advantage and was easily overcome.

6. (intransitive) To be indecisive between choices; to feel or show doubt or indecision; to vacillate.

Translations

sway back and forth

• Dutch: zwaaien (nl), wuiven (nl), wiegen (nl)
• French: waver (fr)
• Greenlandic: sakavoq (kl), ukamarpoq (kl)

• Japanese: 揺らぐ (ja) (yuragu)
• Serbo-Croatian: njihati se (sh), teturati se (sh)
• Spanish: balancearse (es)

flicker, glimmer, quiver

• Dutch: flikkeren (nl), flitsen (nl)
• Greenlandic: angaluppoq (kl)

• Serbo-Croatian: treperiti (sh)

fluctuate or vary

• Dutch: schommelen (nl), variëren (nl)

• Serbo-Croatian: varirati (sh)

shake or tremble

• Dutch: schudden (nl), beven (nl)
• Greenlandic: sajuppoq (kl)

• Japanese: 揺らぐ (ja) (yuragu)
• Serbo-Croatian: treperiti (sh)

falter; become unsteady; begin to fail or give way

• Dutch: wankelen (nl)
• Greenlandic: isumaa oqippoq (kl)

• Serbo-Croatian: kolebati se (sh), pokolebati se (sh)

be indecisive between choices; to feel or show doubt or indecision; to vacillate

• Dutch: twijfelen (nl), weifelen (nl)
• Greenlandic: aalajavoq (kl)

• Portuguese: vacilar (pt)
• Serbo-Croatian: kolebati se (sh)

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.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Halliwell to this entry?)

6. A darkwaver; a fan of darkwave music.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of alt.gothic newsgroup to this entry?)

Translations

act of wavering, vacillating

• Dutch: translated by nominalizing the verb

someone who waves

• Dutch: wuiver (nl) m, zwaaier (nl)

someone who specializes in waving

tool that accomplishes hair waving

See also

• waiver