Obs. exc. dial. [Perh. cogn. w. WAVE v.; cf. Du. wapperen to swing, oscillate, waver.]
1. intr. To blink the eyes. Also, ‘to move tremulously’ (Halliwell, 1847, as a Somerset word).
1575. Mirr. Mag., I., Nennius, 75 b. But still he stode his face to set awrye, And wappering turnid vp his white of eye.
1622. Mabbe, trans. Aleman’s Guzman d’Alf., I. 40. She was toothlesse, chap-falne, hollow-eyed, and wappering withall.
2. passive. To be tired out.
1898. J. A. Gibbs, Cotswold Village, xii. 258 [Period 1592]. Thou’ll not see Stratford tonight, sir, thy horse is wappered out. Foot-note. Wappered = tired. A Cotswold word.
3. Comb.: wapper-eyed a. dial. blinking, blear-eyed (see quots.); wapper-jawed a. U.S.
1604. T. M., Black Bk., D 2 b. I … changed my shape into a litle wapper-eid Constable, to winke and blinke at small faults.
a. 1700. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, Wapper-eyed, that has Sore or running Eyes.
1746. Exmoor Scolding (E.D.S.), Gloss., Wapper-eyed, goggle-eyed, having full rolling Eyes; or looking like one scared; or squinting like a Person overtaken with Liquor.
1848. Lowell, Fable for Critics, Prelim. note. Fancy an heir that a father had seen born well featured and fair, turning suddenly … squint-eyed, hair-lipped, wapper-jawed.
1849. ‘N. Hogg,’ Poet. Lett. (1850), Gloss., Wapper-hy’d, sleepy, groggy.
1886. W. Somerset Word-bk., Wapper-eyed, having quick-moving restless eyes—constantly rolling from side to side, as is seen in very nervous persons.
