waver

name

1. A river in northern Cumbria, England, which flows into the Solway Firth.

noun

Etymology: Origin uncertain, possibly from waive (“(obsolete) to disregard, overlook”). According to the Oxford English Dictionary the early forms waiver, wayver, weaver indicate that the word is probably not derived from wave (verb).

1. A sapling or other young tree left standing when other trees around it have been felled.

   “It is a very ordinary Copſe vvhich vvill not afford three or four Firſts, that is, Beſts; fourteen Seconds; tvvelve Thirds; eight VVavers, &c. according to vvhich proportions the ſizes of young Trees in Copſing are to ſucceed one another.”

   “In some parts of this County, considerable pains seem to be taken in the use of the Falling Axe[…], to form the stools or stumps left in the ground in Spring Woods, rather round at top, to shoot off the wet and preserve the butt from decay, where young shoots or wavers are expected from them: […] the sooner the young waver, or wavers especially, if more than one are left for Trees, attaches itself to and entirely depends on one of the healthy lateral roots[…], by the entire decay of the core or centre, the better is the future prospect of such wavers, as to making good Trees, […]”

verb

Etymology: The verb is derived from Middle English waveren (“to move back and forth, swing; to move unsteadily, totter; to shake, tremble; to wander; (figurative) to be changeable or unstable; to deviate”), and then possibly: * from Old English (compare Old English wǣfre (“flickering, quivering, wavering; active, nimble (?)”)), related to Old English wafian (“to wave”) from Proto-West Germanic *wabbjan (“to cause to weave; to entangle; to wrap”), from Proto-Germanic *wabjaną (“to cause to weave; to entangle; to wrap”); and/or * from Old Norse vafra (“to move unsteadily, flicker”), probably related to vefa (“to weave”); both from Proto-Germanic *webaną (“to weave”), from Proto-Indo-European *webʰ- (“to braid, weave”). Doublet of wave. The noun is derived from the verb.

1. To swing or wave, especially in the air, wind, etc.; to flutter.

   “Flowers wavered in the breeze.”

   “There was neuer ſuche aſſemble made in Bretayne before⸝ for if the frenchmen were puyſſãt [puissant]⸝ in lyke wiſe ſo were the engliſſhmen⸝ and eche parte thought to fyght⸝ for euery day they ſhewed them ſelfe in the felde⸝ with baners and penons waueryng with the wynde⸝ it was great pleaſure to behold thẽ [them].”

2. To move without purpose or a specified destination; to roam, to wander.

   “[T]here vvere tvvo Channels, one on the North, another on the South, vvhere through the fiſher-men did vvander and vvauer vp to Norvvitch, and diuers parts of Suffolke and Norfolke, […]”

   “Michael watched him down the corridor, saw him waver into the dusky street.”

3. To sway back and forth, as if about to fall; to reel, to stagger, to totter.

   “[…] Oza for puttyng his hande to the holy ſhryne⸝ that vvas called Archa federis [the Ark of the Covenant]⸝ whan it was broughte by kyng Dauid frõ [from] the citie of Baba [i.e., Ba'alah or Kiriath-Jearim]⸝ though it were wauerynge and in daunger to fall⸝ yet was he ſtryken of god⸝ and fell deed [dead] immediately.”

   “The Fins [of a fish] made of griſtly Spokes or Rays connected by Membranes, ſo that they may be contracted or extended like VVomens Fans, and furniſhed vvith Muſcles for motion, ſerve partly for progreſſion, but chiefly to hold the Body upright; vvhich appears in that vvhen they are cut off, it vvavers to and fro, and ſo ſoon as the Fiſh dies, the Belly turns upvvard.”

4. To begin to weaken or show signs of weakening in resolve; to falter, to flinch, to give way.

   “Despite all the terrible things that happened to her, she never wavered from her beliefs.”

   “The capitayn […], to thentent to ſhewe hymſelfe valiante and not willyng to breake hys othe, neither to wauer frõ [from] hys allegeance, boſted that he would rather dye in the defence then frely yeld the caſtle.”

5. To feel or show doubt or indecision; to be indecisive between choices; to vacillate.

   “[…] I ſhall not much vvaver to affirm that thoſe vvords vvhich are made to intimate, as if they forbad all divorce but for adultery […] thoſe vvords tak'n circumſcriptly, […] are as much againſt plain equity, and the mercy of religion, […]”

   “Let not that man think that he shall obtain anything from the Lord. What man? Why, he that doubteth or wavereth in his mind, about the truth of the mercy of God in Christ; […]”

6. Of a body part such as an eye or hand, or the voice: to become unsteady; to shake, to tremble.

   “His voice wavered when the reporter brought up the controversial topic.”

   “"No," replied the old man, wavering in his voice, no less than in his manner. "No. Let us go on. I am ready. I am quite ready, Nell."”

7. Of light, shadow, or a partly obscured thing: to flicker, to glimmer, to quiver.

   “For I took at once tvvo Triangular Glaſſes, and one of them being kept fixt in the ſame Poſture, that the Iris it projected on the Floor might not VVaver, I caſt on the ſame Floor another Iris vvith the other Priſm, and Moving it too and fro to bring vvhat part of the ſecond Iris I pleas'd, to fall upon vvhat part of the firſt I thought fit, vve did ſometimes (for a ſmall Errour ſuffices to hinder the Succeſs) obtain by this means a Green Colour in that part of the more Stable Iris, […]”

   “[U]nder the Roman empire, men's notions of mechanical relations became faint, wavered, and disappeared, […]”

8. Chiefly of a quality or thing: to change, to fluctuate, to vary.

   “[T]he Englyſhe affaires (as you haue heard) within yͤ realme began to wauer, and waxe variable, whyche cauſed the Engliſhe capitaines, to be of diuerſe opinions.”

   “[D]uring the whole space of time just mentioned, Mr. Benjamin Allen had been wavering between intoxication partial and intoxication complete.”

9. Followed by from: to deviate from a course; to stray, to wander.

   “And gif it be ane beaſt, ane buke being placed betvvix the hornes of the beaſt, or vpon his forehead, and he and his vvitnes, at the leaſt tvva, ſall ſvveare that, that beaſt did vvaver avvay from him, as he affirmed in his clame; and that he vvas not given, nor ſauld be him to any man, in any maner of vvay.”

10. Of the wits: to become confused or unsteady; to reel.

    “I am hungry, and I am vveary, and I cannot find him. / Keep my wits heaven, I feele 'em wavering, / O God my head.”

11. To cause (someone or something) to move back and forth.

    “[I]f the Admirall ſhall happen to hull in the night: then to make a wauering light ouer his other light, wauering the light vpon a pole.”

    “A third wauered and wagled his head, like a proud horſe playing with his bridle, or as I haue ſeene ſome fantaſticall ſwimmer, at euerie ſtroke train his chin ſide-long ouer his left ſhoulder.”

12. To cause (someone) to begin to or show signs of weakening in resolve; also (rare), to weaken in resolve due to (something).

    “Th'vnconſtant Barrons, vvauering euery houre, / The fierce encounter of this raging tyde, / No ſtrategem yet ſtrongly policied; […]”