FALTER
hesitation, waver, falter, faltering
(noun) the act of pausing uncertainly; “there was a hesitation in his speech”
bumble, stutter, stammer, falter
(verb) speak haltingly; “The speaker faltered when he saw his opponent enter the room”
stumble, falter, bumble
(verb) walk unsteadily; “The drunk man stumbled about”
falter, waver
(verb) move hesitatingly, as if about to give way
falter, waver
(verb) be unsure or weak; “Their enthusiasm is faltering”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
falter
unsteadiness.
Verb
falter (third-person singular simple present falters, present participle faltering, simple past and past participle faltered)
To waver or be unsteady; to weaken or trail off.
(ambitransitive) To stammer; to utter with hesitation, or in a weak and trembling manner.
To fail in distinctness or regularity of exercise; said of the mind or of thought.
To stumble.
(figuratively) To lose faith or vigor; to doubt or abandon (a cause).
To hesitate in purpose or action.
To cleanse or sift, as barley.
Source: Wiktionary
Fal"ter, v. t.
Definition: To thrash in the chaff; also, to cleanse or sift, as barley.
[Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
Fal"ter, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Faltered; p. pr. & vb. n. Faltering.]
Etym: [OE. falteren, faltren, prob. from fault. See Fault, v. & n.]
1. To hesitate; to speak brokenly or weakly; to stammer; as, his
tongue falters.
With faltering speech and visage incomposed. Milton.
2. To tremble; to totter; to be unsteady. "He found his legs falter."
Wiseman.
3. To hesitate in purpose or action.
Ere her native king Shall falter under foul rebellion's arms. Shak.
4. To fail in distinctness or regularity of exercise; -- said of the
mind or of thought.
Here indeed the power of disinct conception of space and distance
falters. I. Taylor.
Fal"ter, v. t.
Definition: To utter with hesitation, or in a broken, trembling, or weak
manner.
And here he faltered forth his last farewell. Byron.
Mde me most happy, faltering "I am thine." Tennyson.
Fal"ter, n. Etym: [See Falter, v. i.]
Definition: Hesitation; trembling; feebleness; an uncertain or broken
sound; as, a slight falter in her voice.
The falter of an idle shepherd's pipe. Lowell.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition