wobble

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to move repeatedly from side to side in an unsteady way

   The overloaded bicycle began to wobble as it gathered speed.

2. 2
   noun

   an unsteady rocking or side-to-side movement

   The mechanic traced the wheel's wobble to a bent axle.

3. 3
   verb

   to become uncertain, inconsistent, or less firm in an opinion, decision, or performance

   Several committee members began to wobble when public opposition grew.

A seventeenth-century variant of the older verb wabble, probably related to Low German and Dutch words for swaying or unsteady motion. Its expressive sound helped it extend naturally from physical instability to uncertainty in judgment or performance.

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