Variant of didder, from Middle English dideren (“to tremble”). Compare Middle English bididren, bididdren (“to seduce, deceive”), from Old English bedidrian, bedyderian (“to deceive, trick”).
Alternatively, perhaps with expressive voicing from *titeren, from Proto-Germanic *titrōną. If so, then a doublet of teeter and cognate with Old High German zittarōn (German zittern) and Old Norse titra (Faroese titra, Icelandic titra). Alternatively an unrelated reduplicative onomatopoeia.
Meanings
(countable, intransitive, uncountable) Trembling, shaking, or shivering.
(countable, intransitive, uncountable) A state of nervous excitement.
Everyone was in a dither; either in it or about to get in it or just climbing out of it. Naturally, the Madam was not in a dither. Dither was a foreign concept to her. 2002, Thomas P. Glynn, A Child's Christmas In Chicago, page 59:
(countable, intransitive, uncountable) The state of being undecided; indecision; vacillation.
(countable, intransitive, uncountable) Any algorithm applied to digital data to minimize the effects of quantization: ▸ A form of noise intentionally added to remove artifacts caused by digitization.
(countable, intransitive, uncountable) Any algorithm applied to digital data to minimize the effects of quantization: ▸ The use of dot patterns in an image or graphic to approximate colors not available in the system palette.
bg колебание (state of being undecided) · cs váhání (state of being undecided) · fi epäröinti (state of being undecided) · fi sekoitussävytys (computer graphics: use of dot patterns to approximate colors) · fi sirottelu (computer graphics: use of dot patterns to approximate colors) · ru колебание (state of being undecided)
Variant of didder, from Middle English dideren (“to tremble”). Compare Middle English bididren, bididdren (“to seduce, deceive”), from Old English bedidrian, bedyderian (“to deceive, trick”).
Alternatively, perhaps with expressive voicing from *titeren, from Proto-Germanic *titrōną. If so, then a doublet of teeter and cognate with Old High German zittarōn (German zittern) and Old Norse titra (Faroese titra, Icelandic titra). Alternatively an unrelated reduplicative onomatopoeia.
Meanings
(intransitive, literally) To tremble, shake, or shiver.
Presently he came running out of the scullery, with the soapy water dripping from him, dithering with cold. 1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “chapter 8”, in Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. […], →OCLC:
(figuratively, intransitive) To be uncertain or unable to make a decision; to vacillate, hesitate, or delay.
2012, The Economist, Sept. 22nd issue, "Indian Reform: At Last"
The dithering Mr Singh of recent times may worry that his reform proposals are already too bold. The reforming Mr Singh of yore would see them as just the start.
(intransitive) To do something nervously.
(intransitive) To apply an algorithm to digital data to minimize the effects of quantization: ▸ To use dot patterns in an image or graphic to simulate colors or shades not in the system palette.
Look at how pixelly this wall texture is. You almost don't even notice the dithering when driving by quick. Up close though, it's real chunky. 2023, Preston "Pretzel", 4:34 from the start, in Familiar and Unfamiliar Areas in Lego Island:
(intransitive) To apply an algorithm to digital data to minimize the effects of quantization: ▸ To intentionally add noise to a signal to remove artifacts caused by digitization.
id baur galat ((computing, graphics) to simulate a color digitally) · de zittern (to shiver or tremble) · cs rozmýšlet se (to be unable to make a decision) · fi epäröidä (to be unable to make a decision) · bg треперя (to shiver or tremble) · it esitare (to be unable to make a decision) · fr être incertain (to be unable to make a decision) · cs být liknavý (to be unable to make a decision) · mi mānenei (to be unable to make a decision) · fi sirotella (to add digital noise) · cs být nerozhodný (to be unable to make a decision) · ru колебаться (to be unable to make a decision) · fi jahkailla (to be unable to make a decision) · cs váhat (to be unable to make a decision) · cs být nervózní (to do something nervously) · tr titremek (to shiver or tremble) · fr être indécis (to be unable to make a decision) · fi koostaa ((computing, graphics) to simulate a color digitally) · bg колебая се (to be unable to make a decision) · fi hytistä (to shiver or tremble) · cs být na vážkách (to be unable to make a decision) · gl vacilar (to be unable to make a decision) · ru трястись (to shiver or tremble) · gl titubear (to be unable to make a decision) · ru колебаться (to shiver or tremble) · mi pōhauhau (to be unable to make a decision) · mi takahuirangi (to be unable to make a decision) · mi manei (to be unable to make a decision) · pt estar indeciso (to be unable to make a decision) · cmn 猶豫 /犹豫 (to be unable to make a decision) · nl treuzelen (to be unable to make a decision) · fi ditheröidä ((computing, graphics) to simulate a color digitally) · gl dubidar (to be unable to make a decision) · id menggigil (to shiver or tremble) · fi hutiloida (to do something nervously) · fr tramage ((computing, graphics) to simulate a color digitally) · it titubare (to be unable to make a decision) · de zögern (to be unable to make a decision)