Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.
stagger en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈstæɡə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈstæɡɚ/ (General-American)
- /ˈsteɪ̯ɡɚ/ Upper Midwestern US, Northwestern US, Canada, æ-raising
Etymology
From Middle English stakeren, from Old Norse stakra (“to push, stagger”). Cognate with dialectal Danish stagre.
Meanings
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An unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing as if one were about to fall; a reeling motion.
the stagger of a drunken man
Afy slowly gathered in the sense of the words. She gasped twice, as if her breath had gone, and then, with a stagger and a shiver, fell heavily to the ground.
1861, Ellen Wood, chapter 39, in East Lynne:7 October 2012, Paolo Bandini in The Guardian, Denver Broncos 21 New England Patriots 31 - as it happened
Put down the rosary beads folks, I believe hell may just have frozen over. Peyton Manning drops back, sees nothing open and runs for a first down. If you can call that running. More like the stagger of a wounded rhino. Did the job, though
And when old Fezziwig and Mrs. Fezziwig had gone all through the dance; advance and retire; both hands to your partner, bow and courtesy, corkscrew, thread the needle, and back again to your place; Fezziwig "cut"—cut so deftly that he appeared to wink with his legs, and came upon his feet again without a stagger.
1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “(please specify the page number)”, in A Christmas Carol. […], London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC:
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A disease of horses and other animals, attended by reeling, unsteady gait or sudden falling.
apoplectic or sleepy staggers
parasitic staggers
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Bewilderment; perplexity.
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The spacing out of various actions over time.
19 April 2016, Rachel Roddy in The Guardian, Rachel Roddy’s Roman spring vegetable stew recipe
I don’t include cured pork, although it is very nice, and rather than putting everything in the pan at once I prefer a stagger of ingredients, which ensures each one gets the right amount of time.
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The difference in circumference between the left and right tires on a racing vehicle. It is used on oval tracks to make the car turn better in the corners.
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The horizontal positioning of a biplane, triplane, or multiplane's wings in relation to one another.
Forms
Translations (39)
de Wanken (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · bg олюляване (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · bg клатушкане (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · fr chanceler (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · fr tituber (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · ar تَرَنُّح (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · ru шата́ние (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · cs potácení se (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · ca trontoll (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · mi wherori (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · fr vaciller (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · sv stappla (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · hu botladozás (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · fi laidunhalvaus (a disease of horses and other animals) · mi hūrorirori (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · es tambaleo (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · it barcollare (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · cs vrávorání (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · bg смайване (bewilderment; perplexity) · hu döbbenet (bewilderment; perplexity) · el παραπατώ (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · it vacillare (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · mi hīrorirori (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · bg замайване (bewilderment; perplexity) · pt cambaleante (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · cs motolice (a disease of horses and other animals) · mi tūrori (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · mi hurori (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · de Schwanken (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · nl wankel (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · fi hämmennys (bewilderment; perplexity) · ca tentines (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · fi hoipertelu (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · mi tīmangamanga (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · mi hīrori (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · fr flageoler (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · mi whakatīkorokoro (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · mi hūrori (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing) · mi tūrorirori (an unsteady movement of the body in walking or standing)
stagger en · VERB · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈstæɡə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈstæɡɚ/ (General-American)
- /ˈsteɪ̯ɡɚ/ Upper Midwestern US, Northwestern US, Canada, æ-raising
Etymology
From Middle English stakeren, from Old Norse stakra (“to push, stagger”). Cognate with dialectal Danish stagre.
Meanings
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(intransitive) To sway unsteadily, reel, or totter. ▸ In standing or walking, to sway from one side to the other as if about to fall; to stand or walk unsteadily; to reel or totter.
The burnt and bleeding man staggered to his feet, dazed and unbelieving, and asked the startled townspeople who came running whether his fireman and guard were safe. He was kept away from the smouldering crater where his engine had been, and taken to hospital.
2022 January 12, Benedict le Vay, “The heroes of Soham...”, in RAIL, number 948, page 43:Deep was the wound; he staggered with the blow.
1697, Virgil, “Palamon and Arcite”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:She began to stagger across the room.
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(transitive) To sway unsteadily, reel, or totter. ▸ To cause to reel or totter.
That hand shall burn in never-quenching fire / That staggers thus my person.
1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene v]:The powerful blow of his opponent's fist staggered the boxer.
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(intransitive) To sway unsteadily, reel, or totter. ▸ To cease to stand firm; to begin to give way; to fail.
The enemy staggers.
1708, Joseph Addison, The Present State of the War, and the Necessity of an Augmentation
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(intransitive) Doubt, waver, be shocked. ▸ To begin to doubt and waver in purposes; to become less confident or determined; to hesitate.
He [Abraham] staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Romans 4:20:
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(transitive) Doubt, waver, be shocked. ▸ To cause to doubt and waver; to make to hesitate; to make less steady or confident; to shock.
[W]hoſoever vvill be curious to read the future ſtory of this intricate VVarre (if it be poſsible to compile a ſtory of it) he vvill find himſelfe much ſtagger'd, and put to a kind of riddle; […]
1644, James Howell, England’s Teares, for the Present Wars, […], London: […] Richard Heron, →OCLC, page 6:Unless it is intended to divert much of the Southern suburban traffic underground, the size of the structure needed to handle all the Southern Railway suburban, outer suburban, and main-line traffic in one station staggers the imagination.
1943 September and October, “Post-War London Terminals”, in Railway Magazine, page 257:He will stagger the committee when he presents his report.
Grants to the house of Russell were so enormous, as not only to outrage economy, but even to stagger credibility.
1796, Edmund Burke, A Letter from the Right Honourable Edmund Burke to a Noble Lord, on the Attacks Made upon Him and His Pension, […], London: […] J. Owen, […], and F[rancis] and C[harles] Rivington, […], →OCLC:
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(transitive) Have multiple groups doing the same thing in a uniform fashion, but starting at different, evenly spaced, times or places (attested from 1856). ▸ To arrange (a series of parts) on each side of a median line alternately, as the spokes of a wheel or the rivets of a boiler seam.
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(transitive) Have multiple groups doing the same thing in a uniform fashion, but starting at different, evenly spaced, times or places (attested from 1856). ▸ To arrange similar objects such that each is ahead or above and to one side of the next.
We will stagger the starting positions for the race on the oval track.
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(transitive) Have multiple groups doing the same thing in a uniform fashion, but starting at different, evenly spaced, times or places (attested from 1856). ▸ To schedule in intervals or at different times.
You'll leave at 5:00. Well, actually, they stagger our exits, so 5:15. But it won’t feel like it. Not to this version of you anyway.
2022 February 18, Dan Erickson, “Good News About Hell”, in Severance, season 1, episode 1, spoken by Mark S. (Adam Scott):The evening peak (5.30-5.45) is more concentrated than the morning (9–9.15), but it had not been intensified in the 12 months to last November; this is attributed by London Transport partly to efforts to persuade firms to stagger their hours.
1962 September, “Talking of Trains: More commuters by rail”, in Modern Railways, page 154:We will stagger the run so the faster runners can go first, then the joggers.
Forms
Deriveds
staggery · bestagger · stagger-through · stagger breathing · staggerbush · stagger soup · staggerweed · stagger juice · staggering bob · stagger breathe · staggerer · staggerwort · staggerment · staggeringly · staggers
Translations (89)
cs potácet se (to walk in an awkward, drunken fashion) · fi epäröidä (to begin to doubt and waver in purposes) · de zweifeln (to begin to doubt and waver in purposes) · mi kōkeke (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · tr sendelemek (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · bg разколебавам се (to begin to doubt and waver in purposes) · it barcollare (to walk in an awkward, drunken fashion) · izh häilyä (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · cs potácet se (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · bg олюлявам се (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · hu botladozik (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · de wackeln (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · gl cambalear (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · it barcollare (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · fi hoiperrella (to walk in an awkward, drunken fashion) · oc trampelar (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · la titubō (to walk in an awkward, drunken fashion) · sv vackla (to begin to doubt and waver in purposes) · de torkeln (to walk in an awkward, drunken fashion) · cs váhat (to begin to doubt and waver in purposes) · es hesitar (to begin to doubt and waver in purposes) · izh häylyä (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · bg клатушкам се (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · izh horjua (to walk in an awkward, drunken fashion) · ja よろめく (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · ca tentinejar (to walk in an awkward, drunken fashion) · ru шата́ться (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · fi toikkaroida (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · enm stakeren (to walk in an awkward, drunken fashion) · cs kymácet se (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · oc titubar (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · es tambalear (to walk in an awkward, drunken fashion) · ru шата́ться (to walk in an awkward, drunken fashion) · th เซ (to walk in an awkward, drunken fashion) · nl twijfelen (to begin to doubt and waver in purposes) · fi horjua (to begin to doubt and waver in purposes) · is riða (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · de taumeln (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · es dubitar (to begin to doubt and waver in purposes) · de wanken (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · la vacillō (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · izh horjua (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · is reika (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · de wanken (to begin to doubt and waver in purposes) · es herer (to begin to doubt and waver in purposes) · cmn 踉蹌 /踉跄 (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · nl wankelen (to walk in an awkward, drunken fashion) · ru колеба́ться (to begin to doubt and waver in purposes) · ga agaigh (multiple groups doing the same thing in a uniform fashion, but starting at different, evenly spaced, times or places) · fr chanceler (to begin to doubt and waver in purposes) · fi hoiperrella (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · enm stakeren (to begin to doubt and waver in purposes) · la nūtō (to walk in an awkward, drunken fashion) · es tambalear (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · enm stakeren (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · mi hurori (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · it tentennare (to begin to doubt and waver in purposes) · fr tituber (to walk in an awkward, drunken fashion) · es titubear (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · pt cambalear (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · es dubir (to begin to doubt and waver in purposes) · sv vackla (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · la titubō (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · pl wahać się (to begin to doubt and waver in purposes) · th เซ (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · es vacilar (to begin to doubt and waver in purposes) · fi porrastaa (multiple groups doing the same thing in a uniform fashion, but starting at different, evenly spaced, times or places) · is slangra (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · is skjögra (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · ar تَرَنَّحَ (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · mi takarangi (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · cs zaváhat (to begin to doubt and waver in purposes) · fi horjua (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · mi keha (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · ca vacil·lar (to begin to doubt and waver in purposes) · gl cambalear (to walk in an awkward, drunken fashion) · pt hesitar (to begin to doubt and waver in purposes) · es titubar (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · pt cambalear (to walk in an awkward, drunken fashion) · bg залитам (to walk in an awkward, drunken fashion) · cs vrávorat (to walk in an awkward, drunken fashion) · ga tuisligh (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · ca tentinejar (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · sa हूर्छति (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · cs být na vážkách (to begin to doubt and waver in purposes) · sv ragla (to walk in an awkward, drunken fashion) · fr tituber (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking) · nl waggelen (to walk in an awkward, drunken fashion) · mi hūrorirori (to move to one side and the other, as if about to fall, in standing or walking)