— stumbler , n. — stumblingly , adv.
/stum"beuhl/ , v. , stumbled, stumbling , n.
v.i.
1. to strike the foot against something, as in walking or running, so as to stagger or fall; trip.
2. to walk or go unsteadily: to stumble down a dark passage.
3. to make a slip, mistake, or blunder, esp. a sinful one: to stumble over a question; to stumble and fall from grace.
4. to proceed in a hesitating or blundering manner, as in action or speech (often fol. by along ).
5. to discover or meet with accidentally or unexpectedly (usually fol. by on, upon, or across ): They stumbled on a little village.
6. to falter or hesitate, as at an obstacle to progress or belief.
v.t.
7. to cause to stumble; trip.
8. to give pause to; puzzle or perplex.
n.
9. the act of stumbling.
10. a moral lapse or error.
11. a slip or blunder.
[ 1275-1325; ME stumblen; c. Norw stumla to grope and stumble in the dark; akin to STAMMER ]