waver 1
— waverer , n. — waveringly , adv.
/way"veuhr/ , v.i.
1. to sway to and fro; flutter: Foliage wavers in the breeze.
2. to flicker or quiver, as light: A distant beam wavered and then disappeared.
3. become unsteady; begin to fail or give way: When she heard the news her courage wavered.
4. to shake or tremble, as the hands or voice: Her voice wavered.
5. to feel or show doubt, indecision, etc.; vacillate: He wavered in his determination.
6. (of things) to fluctuate or vary: Prices wavered.
7. to totter or reel: The earth quaked and the tower wavered.
n.
8. an act of wavering, fluttering, or vacillating.
[ 1275-1325; ME (see WAVE, -ER 6 ); c. dial. G wabern to move about, ON vafra to toddle ]
Syn. 4. quiver. 5. WAVER, FLUCTUATE, VACILLATE refer to an alternation or hesitation between one direction and another. WAVER means to hesitate between choices: to waver between two courses of action. FLUCTUATE suggests irregular change from one side to the other or up and down: The prices of stocks fluctuate when there is bad news followed by good. VACILLATE is to make up one's mind and change it again suddenly; to be undecided as to what to do: We must not vacillate but must set a day.
waver 2
/way"veuhr/ , n.
1. a person who waves or causes something to wave: Election time brings out the wavers of flags and haranguers of mobs.
2. a person who specializes in waving hair.
3. something, as a curling iron, used for waving hair.
[ 1550-60; WAVE + -ER 1 ]