different between wobble vs shimmy

English

Etymology

From earlier wabble (“wobble”), probably from Low German wabbeln (“to wobble”). Compare Dutch wiebelen and wobbelen (“to wobble”), Old Norse vafla (“to hover about, totter”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?w?bl?/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?w?bl?/
• Rhymes: -?b?l

Noun

wobble (plural wobbles)

1. An unsteady motion.
2. A tremulous sound.

3. (music) A low-frequency oscillation sometimes used in dubstep
4. (genetics) A variation in the third codon that codes for a specific aminoacid

Synonyms

• (unsteady motion): jiggle, quiver, shake, tremble
• (tremulous sound): quaver, tremble, tremolo, vibrato

Translations

Verb

wobble (third-person singular simple present wobbles, present participle wobbling, simple past and past participle wobbled)

1. (intransitive) To move with an uneven or rocking motion, or unsteadily to and fro.

2. (intransitive) To tremble or quaver.

3. (intransitive) To vacillate in one's opinions.

4. (transitive) To cause to wobble.

Synonyms

• (move with an uneven or rocking motion): judder, shake, shudder, tremble
• (quaver): quaver, quiver, tremble
• (vacillate): falter, vacillate, waffle, waver
• (cause to wobble): jiggle, rock, shake, wiggle

Derived terms

Translations

Anagrams

• beblow

English

Etymology

A back-formation from chemise (mistaken for a plural).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???.mi/
• Rhymes: -?mi

Noun

shimmy (plural shimmies)

1. A dance movement involving thrusting the shoulders back and forth alternately.
2. A dance that was popular in the 1920s.
3. An abnormal vibration, especially in the wheels of a vehicle.
4. (rare) A sleeveless chemise.

Translations

Verb

shimmy (third-person singular simple present shimmies, present participle shimmying, simple past and past participle shimmied)

1. (dance) To perform a shimmy (dance movement involving thrusting the shoulders back and forth alternately).
   • 1934 James T. Farrell, The Young Manhood of Studs Lonigan, Ch. 13:

     She wondered would he think her awful, and try to get fresh if she shimmied. Fellows often did. But he was so cute. And a girl had to something about that, and if she didn't shimmy, she might do something worse.

2. To climb something (e.g. a pole) gradually (e.g. using alternately one's arms then one's legs).

   He shimmied up the flagpole.

   The static made her dress shimmy up her leg.

3. (intransitive) To vibrate abnormally, as a broken wheel.
4. (intransitive, rare) To shake the body as if dancing the shimmy.
5. (intransitive, video games) To move across a narrow ledge, either by hanging from it or by strafing on it along the wall.
   • 2009, Allison Schubert, Lunabean.com's Videogame Guides of 2008: Adventure 3-Pack

     Jump up to the ledge on your right and shimmy around the corner.

Synonyms

• (climb a pole): shinny, shin (UK, Canada)

Translations