stumble

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   miss a step and fall or nearly fall

   I stumbled over the tree root.

2. 2
   verb

   walk unsteadily

   The drunk person stumbled about.

3. 3
   verb

   encounter by chance

   I stumbled across a long-lost cousin last night in a restaurant

4. 4
   noun

   A fall, trip or substantial misstep.

   I went to his aid. As he said, a board in the floor was loose. His stepping on it unawares had caused his stumble.

5. 5
   noun

   An error or blunder.

   1934, Ernest Bramah, The Bravo of London Possibly Mr. Carrados was considering it from his own way round for he did not appear to notice anything in her stumble.

6. 6
   noun

   A clumsy walk.

   From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much. Those entering it are greeted by wire fences, walls dating back to colonial times and security posts. For mariners leaving the port after lonely nights on the high seas, the delights of the B52 Night Club and Stallion Pub lie a stumble away.

7. 7
   verb

   To trip or fall; to walk clumsily.

   He stumbled over a rock.

8. 8
   verb

   To make a mistake or have trouble.

   I always stumble over verbs in Spanish.

Etymology

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”).