different between totter vs oscillate

English

Etymology

From Middle English totren, toteren, from earlier *tolteren (compare dialectal English tolter (“to struggle, flounder”); Scots tolter (“unstable, wonky”)), from Old English tealtrian (“to totter, vacillate”), from Proto-Germanic *taltr?n?, a frequentative form of Proto-Germanic *talt?n? (“to sway, dangle, hesitate”), from Proto-Indo-European *del-, *dul- (“to shake, hesitate”). Cognate with Dutch touteren (“to tremble”), Norwegian dialectal totra (“to quiver, shake”), North Frisian talt, tolt (“unstable, shaky”). Related to tilt.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?t?t?/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?t??t?/
• Rhymes: -?t?(r)

Verb

totter (third-person singular simple present totters, present participle tottering, simple past and past participle tottered) (intransitive)

1. To walk, move or stand unsteadily or falteringly; threatening to fall.
2. (figuratively) To be on the brink of collapse.
3. (archaic) To collect junk or scrap.

Synonyms

• (move unsteadily): reel, teeter, toddle, stagger, sway

Derived terms

• teeter-totter
• totterer
• tottergrass
• tottering
• totteringly
• tottersome
• tottery

Translations

Noun

totter (plural totters)

1. An unsteady movement or gait.
2. (archaic) A rag and bone man.

Translations

English

Etymology

From Latin ?scill?tus, perfect passive participle of Latin ?scill? (“swing”), from ?scillum (“a swing”), usually identified with ?scillum (“a little face or mask hung on a tree that sways with the wind”), diminutive of ?s (“mouth, face”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /??s?le?t/

Verb

oscillate (third-person singular simple present oscillates, present participle oscillating, simple past and past participle oscillated)

1. (intransitive) To swing back and forth, especially if with a regular rhythm.

2. (intransitive) To vacillate between conflicting opinions, etc.

3. (intransitive) To vary above and below a mean value.

Synonyms

• vacillate

Derived terms

• oscillator

Related terms

• oscillation

Translations

See also

• undulate

Further reading

• oscillate in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• oscillate in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• oscillate at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• Tesla coil, lactisole, localites, teocallis

Italian

Verb

oscillate

1. second-person plural present indicative of oscillare
2. second-person plural imperative of oscillare
3. feminine plural of oscillato

Anagrams

• alcoliste
• costellai
• scolliate
• sollecita
• solletica