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dither

 - 4 dictionary results

dith⋅er

  [dith-er]
Use dither in a Sentence
–noun
1. a trembling; vibration.
2. a state of flustered excitement or fear.
–verb (used without object)
3. to act irresolutely; vacillate.
4. North England. to tremble with excitement or fear.
Origin:
1640–50; var. of didder (late ME diddere); cf. dodder

Related forms:
dith⋅er⋅er, noun
dith⋅er⋅y, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To dither
dith·er   (dĭth'ər)   
n.  A state of indecisive agitation.
intr.v.   dith·ered, dith·er·ing, dith·ers
To be nervously irresolute in acting or doing.

[Alteration of didder, from Middle English didderen, to tremble.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
dither [ˈdɪðɚ]

  1. n.
    a state of confusion. (See also in a dither.) : He can't seem to get out of this dither he's in.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

dither 
1649, "to quake, tremble," phonetic variant of M.E. didderen (c.1375), of uncertain origin. The sense of "vacillate, be anxious" is from 1819.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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