teeter
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tee·ter
(tē′tər)intr.v. tee·tered, tee·ter·ing, tee·ters
1. To move or sway unsteadily or unsurely; totter.
2. To alternate, as between opposing attitudes or positions; vacillate.
3. To be close to or in danger of failure or ruin: The housing market teetered on the edge of collapse.
n. Northeastern US
See seesaw.
[Middle English titeren, probably from Old Norse titra, to shake.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
teeter
(ˈtiːtə)vb
to move or cause to move unsteadily; wobble
n, vb
another word for seesaw
[C19: from Middle English titeren, related to Old Norse titra to tremble, Old High German zittarōn to shiver]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
tee•ter
(ˈti tər)v.i.
1. to move unsteadily.
2. to waver; fluctuate.
3. to ride a seesaw; teetertotter.
n. 4. a seesaw; teetertotter.
[1835–45; variant of dial. titter, Middle English titeren < Old Norse titra tremble]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
teeter
Past participle: teetered
Gerund: teetering
Imperative |
---|
teeter |
teeter |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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Noun | 1. | teeter - a plaything consisting of a board balanced on a fulcrum; the board is ridden up and down by children at either end playground - yard consisting of an outdoor area for children's play |
Verb | 1. | teeter - move unsteadily, with a rocking motion move - move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion; "He moved his hand slightly to the right" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
teeter
verb
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
teeter
verbThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
teeter
[ˈtiːtəʳ] VI → bambolearse, tambalearse (fig) → vacilar, titubearto teeter on the edge of a nervous breakdown → estar al borde de un ataque nervioso
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
teeter
[ˈtiːtər] vi (= be unsteady) [person, object] → vaciller
to teeter on the brink of sth, to teeter on the edge of sth (ruin, civil war, disaster) → être au bord de qchteeter totter n (US) jeu de bascule
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
teeter
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
teeter
[ˈtiːtəʳ] vi → barcollare, vacillareto teeter on the edge or brink of → vacillare sull'orlo di
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995