English Explanatory Dictionary

totter

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To walk, move or stand unsteadily or falteringly; threatening to fall.
  2. To be on the brink of collapse.
  3. To collect junk or scrap.
noun
  1. An unsteady movement or gait.
  2. A rag and bone man.
name
  1. A surname from German.

Pronunciation

/ˈtɒtə/ /ˈtɑtɚ/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-totter.wav

Word forms

totter totters tottering tottered

Etymology

From Middle English totren, toteren, from earlier *tolteren (compare dialectal English tolter (“to struggle, flounder”); Scots tolter (“unstable, wonky”)), from Old English tealtrian (“to totter, vacillate”), from Proto-Germanic *taltrōną, a frequentative form of Proto-Germanic *taltōną (“to sway, dangle, hesitate”), from Proto-Indo-European *del-, *dul- (“to shake, hesitate”). Cognate with Dutch touteren (“to tremble”), Norwegian dialectal totra (“to quiver, shake”), North Frisian talt, tolt (“unstable, shaky”). Related to tilt.

Synonyms

reel teeter toddle stagger sway topple

Derived words

teeter-totter totterer tottergrass tottering totteringly tottersome tottery merry-totter Totter
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