noun , verb
■ noun
1.
( NAmE also ˈteeter-totter ) [ C ] a piece of equipment for children to play on consisting of a long flat piece of wood that is supported in the middle. A child sits at each end and makes the see-saw move up and down.
2.
[ sing. ] a situation in which things keep changing from one state to another and back again
■ verb
[ v ] to keep changing from one situation, opinion, emotion, etc. to another and back again :
Her emotions see-sawed from anger to fear.
Share prices see-sawed all day.
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 17th cent. (originally used by sawyers as a rhythmical refrain): reduplication of the verb saw (symbolic of the sawing motion).