[f. WAVER v. + -ING2.]
† 1. Wandering, vagrant. Obs.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, VII. 112. Thai saw on syde thre men cumand, Lik to licht men and vauerand.
1607. N. Riding Rec., Q. Sess. Rec. (1884), I. 91. Tho. Best of Wath, a wavering person, [presented] for three assaults on the Constable of Melmerby.
2. Tottering, shaking, faltering, reeling.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 13546. And wayuerand, weike, [I] wan to the lond.
1569. Roest, trans. J. van der Noot’s Theat. Worldlings, 76. Theyr proude titles haue no sure foundation, but are buylded only vppon the waueryng sandes of doubtefulnesse and falshode.
1816. Byron, Siege of Corinth, xxix. The portal wavering grows, and weak!
1839. Kinnear, Cairo, Petra & Damascus, iii. (1841), 94–5. A dim shadowy figure on a dromedary appeared, moving at a wavering and uncertain pace through the sand drift.
1845–7. Longf., Ev., I. v. 127. And like the day of doom it seemed to her wavering senses.
1896. H. G. Wells, Wheels of Chance, i. The nervous clutch of the wavering rider.
3. Fluttering, floating, waving, surging.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., V. 845. Wauerande [v.r. welterand] wawis.
c. 1470. Golagros & Gaw., 290. As leif of the lynd … That welteris doun with the wynd, sa wauerand it is.
1534. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), P viii b. Their waueryng boughes ar aduentured in the wynde.
1660. Boyle, New Exper. Spring of Air, xxiv. 193. These bubbles … ascended with a wavering or wrigling motion.
1662. Dryden, Astræa Redux, 225. The wavering Streamers, Flags, and Standart out.
1703. Pope, Thebais, I. 266. As when two winds with rival force contend, This way and that, the wav’ring sails they bend.
1884. W. C. Smith, Kildrostan, I. i. 42. Broken prismic lights are woven On the thin veils of wavering cloud.
4. Vacillating, undecided, inconstant; faltering in resolution or allegiance.
c. 1315. [see WAVER v. 5].
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XII. 185. Mony ane hert sall vaverand be That semyt ere of gret bounte.
c. 1440. Alphabet of Tales, 424. He went vnto his prayers, & stude with a waveryng ee and a waveryng mynde.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. IV. (1550), 16 b. This realm … inuaded and infested with the frantike waueryng Welshemen.
1591. Shaks., 1 Hen. VI., IV. i. 138. Remember where we are, In France, amongst a fickle wauering Nation.
1598. R. Bernard, trans. Terence, Andria, I. v. (1607), 27. Hee is as wauering as a wether-cocke.
1642. J. Taylor (Water P.), Henry Walker, A 3 b. To Allienate or estrange the hearts of wavering Subjects from their allegiance.
c. 1660. in Verney Mem. (1907), II. 227. His mind is so wavouring that I think hee will setill to nothing.
1743. Ld. Hardwicke, in G. Harris, Life (1847), II. 37. If our allies are timorous and wavering, it is necessary to encourage them by vigorous measures.
1862. Sir C. Dilke, Lett., 7 Nov. Life (1917), I. 32. How wavering and shortsighted the policy of England in Turco-Grecian matters has been of late!
a. 1886. Stubbs, Germany in Early Middle Ages (1908), 167. The wavering princes returned to their allegiance.
b. absol. (with the).
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1638), 380. Carambey … incouraged the wauering, and restored the battel.
1780. Mirror, No. 94. That I might be able … to alarm the inconsiderate, to confirm the wavering.
1891. Farrar, Darkn. & Dawn, lv. The most wavering could not but be confirmed by his calm wisdom.
c. Comb.
1526. Tindale, Jas. i. 8. A waverynge mynded man is vnstable in all his wayes.
1658. J. Spencer, Things New & Old, 179. How to prevent wavering-mindedness.
5. Of fortune, affairs, etc.: Variable, mutable. † Of a person: Having a doubtful or uncertain title.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., lxv. 1838 (Wemyss). Few personis lynealye, Sum vther few collateralye, As cours maid and qualite Airis waverand for to be.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, lxvi. 1. This waverand warldis wretchidness.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VI., 148 b. Suche is worldly vnstablenes, and so waueryng is false flatteryng fortune.
1660. Milton, Free Commw., Wks. 1851, V. 438. In this wavering condition of our Affairs.
6. Changing in intensity, now strong, now faint; flickering, fitful, intermittent; tremulous, unsteady; tending to fade or become dim.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, IV. 340. Now wauerand wind, now weit.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, II. xii. 64. Or mast liklie a waverand sweving or dreyme [L. volucrique simillima somuo].
c. 1622. Rowley, Birth of Merlin, III. vi. 17. The incertain Changes of a wavering Skie.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. xvi. (Roxb.), 62/2. It is a kind of wavering fluteing sound.
1815. Scott, Guy M., xlviii. The fire … now rose high into the air, a wavering column of brilliant light.
1842. J. Wilson, Chr. North (1857), I. 152. His sight is dim and wavering.
1866. Miss Braddon, Lady’s Mile, i. Making a little spot of crimson amongst the wavering shadows of the trees.
1868. Morris, Earthly Par., I. I. 393. Till these things shall seem The wavering memory of a lovely dream.
1890. Retrospect Med., CII. 370. It is heard as a wavering or tremolo note.
Hence Waveringly adv., Waveringness.
c. 1400. Sc. Trojan War, II. 1547. He has chapit, & so long past Throw þe wyld sees wawerandly [v.r. wauerandly].
1549. Coverdale, etc., Erasm. Par. 1 Pet. v. 6–14. Loke not waueringly about you, haue no distrust, be not afrayed.
a. 1603. T. Cartwright, Confut. Rhem. N. T. (1618), 27. How doubtfully and waueringly Augustine iudged of this case.
1614. J. Robinson, Relig. Commun., 124. Men become perfit, and growen past that childish waveringnes.
1698. Atterbury, Serm. (1734), II. 311. The Uncertainty and Waveringness of this [belief].
1820. Blackw. Mag., VII. 176. The candles glimmer somewhat waveringly.
1863. Geo. Eliot, Romola, xxi. His hearers more or less waveringly believed, that he had a mission like that of the Hebrew prophets.
1885. Bridges, Nero, II. ii. Speak nothing waveringly.
