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