teeter

[ tee-ter ]
See synonyms for: teeterteeteredteetering on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)
  1. to move unsteadily.

  2. to ride a seesaw; teetertotter.

verb (used with object)
  1. to tip (something) up and down; move unsteadily.

noun
  1. a seesaw motion; wobble.

  2. a seesaw; teetertotter.

Origin of teeter

1
1835–45; variant of dial. titter,Middle English titeren<Old Norse titra tremble; cognate with German zittern to tremble, quiver

Words Nearby teeter

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use teeter in a sentence

  • A broad and massive teeter-board was brought in, and balanced across a support about two feet high.

    Kings in Exile | Sir Charles George Douglas Roberts
  • Instantly King descended from his pedestal, ran over to the teeter-board, and mounted it at the centre.

    Kings in Exile | Sir Charles George Douglas Roberts
  • And when he stooped over to pick up his child he turned into a sand-snipe, and the baby turned into a little teeter-snipe.

    Aw-Aw-Tam Indian Nights | J. William Lloyd
  • A few birds flew up from along the shore, some of them "teeter" snipe that had been feeding.

  • But betwixt the pair of you you've nigh druv two old women crazy, and set the whole village a-teeter.

    The Brass Bound Box | Evelyn Raymond

British Dictionary definitions for teeter

teeter

/ (ˈtiːtə) /


verb
  1. to move or cause to move unsteadily; wobble

noun, verb
  1. another word for seesaw

Origin of teeter

1
C19: from Middle English titeren, related to Old Norse titra to tremble, Old High German zittarōn to shiver

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012