Word Study
dither
OXFORD DICTIONARY
dither, v. & n.
--v.intr.
1 hesitate; be indecisive.
2 dial. tremble; quiver.
--n. colloq.
1 a state of agitation or apprehension.
2 a state of hesitation; indecisiveness.
--v.intr.
1 hesitate; be indecisive.
2 dial. tremble; quiver.
--n. colloq.
1 a state of agitation or apprehension.
2 a state of hesitation; indecisiveness.
Idiom
all of a dither colloq. in a state of extreme agitation or vacillation.
Derivative
ditherer n. dithery adj.
Etymology
var. of didder, DODDER(1)
THESAURUS
dither
ache, aching, agitation, all-overs, alternate, babble, back and fill, be cold, be stupid, blab, blabber, blather, blether, blither, bob, bobble, bother, bounce, bump, burble, cackle, change, chat, chatter, chilblains, chill, chilliness, chilling, clack, clatter, cold creeps, cold shivers, cold sweat, confusion, creeps, cryopathy, didder, disquiet, disquietude, dithers, dote, drivel, drool, duck bumps, equivocate, falter, fidgetiness, fidgets, flap, fluctuate, fluster, flusteration, flustration, flutter, foofaraw, freeze, freeze to death, fret, frostbite, fuss, gab, gabble, gas, gibber, gibble-gabble, go on, goose bumps, goose pimples, gooseflesh, gossip, grimace, grow cold, gush, halt, hang in doubt, have a chill, have goose pimples, haver, heaving, heebie-jeebies, hesitate, horripilate, horripilation, inquietude, jabber, jar, jaw, jerk, jig, jigget, jitters, jog, joggle, jolt, jostle, jumps, kibe, lather, lose heat, maunder, natter, oscillate, palaver, palpitation, panting, patter, pendulate, perish with cold, pitapat, pitter-patter, pother, pour forth, prate, prattle, pucker, quake, quaking, quaver, quavering, quiver, quivering, quivers, ramble on, rattle, rattle on, reel off, restlessness, rictus, run on, shake, shakes, shaking, shift, shilly-shally, shiver, shivering, shivers, shock, shudder, slobber, spout, spout off, stagger, stew, stop to consider, sweat, swivet, talk away, talk nonsense, talk on, teeter, tergiversate, think twice, throb, throbbing, tic, tittle-tattle, tizzy, totter, tremble, trembles, trembling, tremor, trepidation, trepidity, tumult, turbulence, turmoil, twaddle, twattle, twitch, twitter, twitteration, unrest, vacillate, vary, waffle, waver, whiffle, willies, wobble, yak, yakkety-yakFor further exploring for "dither" in Webster Dictionary Online