The Collaborative Dictionary

Waver \Wa"ver\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Wavered; p. pr. & vb. n. Wavering.] [OE. waveren, from AS. w[ae]fre wavering, restless. See Wave, v. i.] [1913 Webster]

To play or move to and fro; to move one way and the other; hence, to totter; to reel; to swing; to flutter. [1913 Webster] With banners and pennons wavering with the wind. --Ld. Berners. [1913 Webster] Thou wouldst waver on one of these trees as a terror to all evil speakers against dignities. --Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster]

To be unsettled in opinion; to vacillate; to be undetermined; to fluctuate; as, to water in judgment. [1913 Webster] Let us hold fast . . . without wavering. --Heb. x.

[1913 Webster] In feeble hearts, propense enough before To waver, or fall off and join with idols. --Milton. [1913 Webster] Syn: To reel; totter; vacillate. See Fluctuate. [1913 Webster]

Waver \Wa"ver\, n. [From Wave, or Waver, v.] A sapling left standing in a fallen wood. [Prov. Eng.] --Halliwell. [1913 Webster]

Word Net

waver

1 someone who communicates by waving

2 the act of pausing uncertainly; "there was a hesitation in his speech" [syn: hesitation, falter, faltering]

3 the act of moving back and forth [syn: flutter, flicker]

1 pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness; "Authorities hesitate to quote exact figures" [syn: hesitate, waffle]

2 be unsure or weak; "Their enthusiasm is faltering" [syn: falter]

3 move hesitatingly, as if about to give way [syn: falter]

4 move or sway in a rising and falling or wavelike pattern; "the line on the monitor vacillated" [syn: fluctuate, vacillate]

5 move back and forth very rapidly; "the candle flickered" [syn: flicker, flitter, flutter, quiver]

6 sway to and fro [syn: weave]

7 give off unsteady sounds, alternating in amplitude or frequency [syn: quaver]

Moby Thesaurus

alternate, back and fill, beat, beating, bicker, blench, bob, bobble, boggle, careen, change, coggle, dance, dangle, demur, dither, ebb and flow, equivocate, falter, fight shy of, flap, flick, flicker, flinch, flip, flit, flitter, flop, flounder, fluctuate, flutter, go pitapat, go through phases, gutter, halt, hang back, hang off, have qualms, hem and haw, hesitate, hold off, librate, lurch, make bones about, nutate, oscillate, palpitate, palpitation, palter, pause, pendulate, pitapat, pitch, pitter-patter, play, pull back, pulse, quail, quiver, recoil, reel, resonate, ring the changes, rock, roll, scruple, seesaw, shake, shift, shilly-shally, shrink, shuffle, shy, shy at, slat, splutter, sputter, stagger, stick at, stickle, strain, swag, sway, swing, swinging, teeter, teeter-totter, tergiversate, throb, toss, totter, trim, turn, vacillate, vary, vibrate, wag, waggle, wave, wax and wane, whiffle, wince, wobble

English

Verb

1. To sway back and forth; to totter or reel.

   Flowers wavered in the breeze.

2. To flicker, glimmer, quiver, as a weak light.
3. To fluctuate or vary, as commodity prices or a poorly sustained musical pitch.
4. To shake or tremble, as the hands or voice.

   His voice wavered when the reporter brought up the controversial topic.

5. To falter; become unsteady; begin to fail or give way.

   His courage wavered at the sight of the approaching enemy.

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

Noun

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.

See also

• waiver

Waver () is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Ouder-Amstel, and lies about 13 km south of Amsterdam.

References