titubate

T1I1T1U1B3A1T1E1
/ˈtɪtjʊbeɪt/

verb

To stagger

OriginLatin titubatus →
Scrabble 10
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Meanings

verbtitubate (third-person singular simple present titubates, present participle titubating, simple past and past participle titubated)

present singular third person titubates · participle present titubating · participle past titubated · past titubated

  1. obsoleteTo stagger
  2. obsoleteTo rock or roll, like a curved body on a plane.
  3. To stutter, stammer.

    They must let us alone here, we govern ourselves, we are by way of being totally autonomous. (The plethora of t’s there made his tongue titubate, but it was a brave show.)

    1993, Anthony Burgess, A Dead Man in Deptford

Origin

  1. Latintitubatus
  2. Englishtitubate

From Latin titubatus, past participle of titubare (“to stagger, totter”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian залитам, заеквам
  • залитам (zalitam)to stagger
  • заеквам (zaekvam)to stutter
Catalan titubar, titubejar
  • titubarto stagger
  • titubejarto stagger
  • titubarto stutter
  • titubejarto stutter
Finnish horjua, änkyttää
  • horjuato stagger
  • änkyttääto stutter
Cite this entry
APA

titubate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/titubate

MLA

“titubate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/titubate. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “titubate,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/titubate.

Source: titubate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.