Waver
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: /ˈweɪ.və(ɹ)/
- US IPA: /ˈweɪ.vɚ/
- Rhymes: -eɪvə(r)
- Homophones: waiver
Origin
From Old Norse vafra ("to flicker").
Full definition of waver
Verb
- (intransitive) To sway back and forth; to totter or reel.Flowers wavered in the breeze.
- Ld. BernersWith banners and pennons wavering with the wind.
- Sir Walter ScottThou wouldst waver on one of these trees as a terror to all evil speakers against dignities.
- (intransitive) To flicker, glimmer, quiver, as a weak light.
- (intransitive) To fluctuate or vary, as commodity prices or a poorly sustained musical pitch.
- (intransitive) To shake or tremble, as the hands or voice.His voice wavered when the reporter brought up the controversial topic.
- (intransitive) To falter; become unsteady; begin to fail or give way.
- 1903, Bill Arp, From the Uncivil War to Date...and that when a man was in the wrong his courage wavered, and his nerves became unsteady, and so he couldn't fight to advantage and was easily overcome.
- 2014, Jacob Steinberg, "Wigan shock Manchester City in FA Cup again to reach semi-finals", The Guardian, 9 March 2014:Although they believe they can overhaul their 2-0 deficit, they cannot afford to be as lethargic as this at Camp Nou, and the time is surely approaching when Manuel Pellegrini's faith in MartÃn Demichelis wavers.
- (intransitive) To be indecisive between choices; to feel or show doubt or indecision; to vacillate.
Noun
waver
(plural wavers)- An act of wavering, vacillating, etc.
- 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.
- Someone who specializes in waving (hair treatment).
- A tool that accomplishes hair waving.
- (UK, dialect, dated) A sapling left standing in a fallen wood.
- A darkwaver; a fan of darkwave music.