stumbling

1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of stumble

plural stumblings

1. The motion of one who stumbles.

   Some evolutionary theorists stress that cultural innovation allows human beings to overcome the blind stumblings of natural selection: we deliberately solve a problem and pass on that solution to our descendants, who improve on it in turn.

   2008 March 16, Alexander Star, “I Feel Good”, in New York Times