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Waver vs Writhe - What's the difference?

waver | writhe | Related terms |

Waver is a related term of writhe.


In lang=en terms the difference between waver and writhe

is that waver is to be indecisive between choices; to feel or show doubt or indecision; to vacillate while writhe is to twist or contort the body; to be distorted.

As verbs the difference between waver and writhe

is that waver is to sway back and forth; to totter or reel while writhe is to twist, to wring (something).

As nouns the difference between waver and writhe

is that waver is an act of wavering, vacillating, etc while writhe is (knot theory) the number of negative crossings subtracted from the number of positive crossings in a knot.

waver

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • To sway back and forth; to totter or reel.
    • Flowers wavered in the breeze.
  • * Ld. Berners
    • With banners and pennons wavering with the wind.
  • * Sir Walter Scott
    • Thou wouldst waver on one of these trees as a terror to all evil speakers against dignities.
  • To flicker, glimmer, quiver, as a weak light.
  • To fluctuate or vary, as commodity prices or a poorly sustained musical pitch.
  • To shake or tremble, as the hands or voice.
    • His voice wavered when the reporter brought up the controversial topic.
  • To falter; become unsteady; begin to fail or give way.
  • * 1903 , Bill Arp, From the Uncivil War to Date
    • ...and that when a man was in the wrong his courage wavered , and his nerves became unsteady, and so he couldn't fight to advantage and was easily overcome.
  • * 2014 , Jacob Steinberg, " Wigan shock Manchester City in FA Cup again to reach semi-finals", The Guardian , 9 March 2014:
    • Although they believe they can overhaul their 2-0 deficit, they cannot afford to be as lethargic as this at Camp Nou, and the time is surely approaching when Manuel Pellegrini's faith in Martín Demichelis wavers .
  • To be indecisive between choices; to feel or show doubt or indecision; to vacillate.

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • An act of wavering, vacillating, etc.
  • Someone who waves, enjoys waving, etc.
    • I felt encouraged by all the enthusiastic wavers in the crowd.
    The Fourth of July brings out all the flag wavers .
    Johnny is such a little waver ; everyone who passes by receives his preferred greeting.
  • Someone who specializes in waving (hair treatment).
  • A tool that accomplishes hair waving.
  • (UK, dialect, dated) A sapling left standing in a fallen wood.
    • (Halliwell)

    See also

    * waiver

    writhe

    English

    Verb

  • To twist, to wring (something).
  • To contort (a part of the body).
  • *, II.17:
  • *:Cicero (as I remember) had gotten a custome to wryth his nose, which signifieth a naturall scoffer.
  • To twist or contort the body; to be distorted.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011, date=October 1, author=Phil McNulty, work=BBC Sport
    • , title= Everton 0-2 Liverpool , passage=The game was engulfed in controversy when Rodwell appeared to win the ball cleanly in a midfield challenge with Suarez. The tackle drew an angry response from Liverpool's players- Lucas in particular as Suarez writhed in agony - but it was an obvious injustice when the England Under-21 midfielder was shown the red card.}} (Webster 1913)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (knot theory) The number of negative crossings subtracted from the number of positive crossings in a knot

    • Anagrams

    * whiter * wither