different between seesaw vs teeter

English

Alternative forms

• see-saw

Etymology

Probably a frequentative imitative of rhythmic back-and-forth, up-and-down or zigzagging motion, such as teeter-totter, zigzag, flip-flop, ping pong, etc., under the umbrella term of reduplication; also likely influenced by the verbs see and saw of either present or past tense.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?si?s??/

Noun

seesaw (plural seesaws)

1. A structure composed of a plank, balanced in the middle, used as a game in which one person goes up as the other goes down.

   Synonym: teeter-totter

2. A series of up-and-down movements.
3. A series of alternating movements or feelings.

   • He has been arguing in a circle; there is thus a see-saw between the hypothesis and the fact.

Translations

Verb

seesaw (third-person singular simple present seesaws, present participle seesawing, simple past and past participle seesawed)

1. (intransitive) To use a seesaw.
2. (intransitive, by extension) To fluctuate.
3. (transitive) To cause to move backward and forward in seesaw fashion.
   • 1832, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Eugene Aram

     He see-saws himself to and fro.

Translations

Adjective

seesaw (comparative more seesaw, superlative most seesaw)

1. fluctuating.

Anagrams

• Weases

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?ti?t?/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?tit??/, [?t?i??]

Etymology

Alteration of titter.

Verb

teeter (third-person singular simple present teeters, present participle teetering, simple past and past participle teetered)

1. (intransitive) To tilt back and forth on an edge.

   He teetered on the brink of the precipice.
2. (figuratively) To be indecisive.

   We teetered on the fence about buying getaway tickets and missed the opportunity.

3. (figuratively) To be close to becoming a typically negative situation.

   Despite appearances, the firm was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.

Derived terms

• teeterer
• teeter-totter
• teeterboard

Translations

Noun

teeter (plural teeters)

1. (Canada, US) A teeter-totter or seesaw.

Anagrams

• terete