stumble

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To hit your foot on something and almost fall.

   I stumbled over a tree root in the dark.

2. 2
   verb

   To walk in an unsteady way.

   He stumbled home after the long, tiring journey.

3. 3
   verb

   To find or meet something by chance.

   I stumbled across an old photo while cleaning the attic.

4. 4
   verb

   To make a mistake or pause while speaking or doing something.

   She stumbled over the difficult words in her speech.

5. 5
   noun

   An act of almost falling after hitting your foot on something.

   A loose board caused his stumble on the stairs.

Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *stam- (“to trip up; to stammer, stutter”), thereby related to German stumm (“mute”), Dutch stom (“dumb”). Doublet of stammer. Also related to verb in Dutch stommelen (“to walk silently”).

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