stutter

• POS: Adjective, Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: stut=ter

CIDE DICTIONARY

stutter, v. t. & i. [Freq. of stut, OE. stoten; probably of Dutch or Low German origin; cf. D. & LG. stotteren, G. stottern, D. stooten to push, to strike; akin to G. stossen, Icel. stauta, Sw. stöta, Dan. stöde, Goth. stautan, L. tundere, Skr. tud to thrust. Cf. Contuse, Obtuse.].

 To hesitate or stumble in uttering words; to speak with spasmodic repetition or pauses; to stammer.  [1913 Webster]
"Trembling, stuttering, calling for his confessor."  [1913 Webster]

stutter, n. 

•  The act of stuttering; a stammer. See Stammer, and Stuttering.  [1913 Webster]
•  One who stutters; a stammerer.  Bacon.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

stutter, v. & n.
--v.
1 intr. stammer, esp. by involuntarily repeating the first consonants of words.
2 tr. (often foll. by out) utter (words) in this way.
--n.
1 the act or habit of stuttering.
2 an instance of stuttering.

Derivative

stutterer n. stutteringly adv.

Etymology

frequent. of ME (now dial.) stut f. Gmc

THESAURUS

stutter

balbuties, dysphemia, falter, faltering, halt, hammer, haw, hem, hem and haw, hesitate, hesitation, hum, hum and haw, mammer, palilalia, stammer, stammering, stumble, stuttering, traulism

ROGET THESAURUS

stutter

Stammering

VB stammer, stutter, hesitate, falter, hammer, balbutiate, balbucinate, haw, hum and haw, be unable to put two words together, mumble, mutter, maud, mauder, whisper, mince, lisp, jabber, gibber, sputter, splutter, muffle, mump, drawl, mouth, croak, speak thick, speak through the nose, snuffle, clip one's words, murder the language, murder the King's English, murder the Queen's English, mispronounce, missay.