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Added 9 October 2026

falter

/ˈfɒltə/ noun

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about falter at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

An unsteadiness.

verb

To waver or be unsteady; to weaken or trail off.
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.

Origin

From Middle English falteren (“to stagger; be unsteady, tremble, quiver; to stammer; be entangled, get caught”), further origin unknown. Probably from a North Germanic source such as Old Norse faltrask (“to hesitate, be puzzled, be encumbered”). May also be a frequentative of fold, although the change from d to t is unusual.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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