Also 6 stagar, 6–7 stager, staggar, (8 staggir). [Altered form of STACKER v. Cf. early mod.Flem. staggeren (Kilian), Du. staggelen to stagger, G. staggeln to stammer.]
I. Intransitive uses.
1. Of a person or animal: To sway involuntarily from side to side when trying to stand or walk erect; to totter or reel as if about to fall; to walk with a swaying movement of the body and unsteady and devious steps, as from weakness, giddiness, intoxication, or the carrying of a heavy burden. Often with adv. or phrase indicating the direction of movement.
In mod. use always implying more or less movement from the spot; formerly this notion was sometimes absent: cf. sense 3.
1530. Palsgr., 732/1. Ar you nat a shamed to staggar thus as you go by the stretes.
1598. R. Bernard, trans. Terence, Eunuch., II. iii. 133. He comes running to me … very crooked, staggering and stammering for age.
1600. Fairfax, Tasso, XII. lxxx. Thither he staggred, reeling to and froe.
1611. Bible, Job xii. 25. Hee maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage (1614), 282. A wounded and halfe-dead Souldier … comming staggering as it were to begge his life.
1621. J. Taylor (Water P.), Praise of Beggery, C 1 b. Drinke That neuer makes men stagger, reele and winke.
c. 1730. Ramsay, Vision, xix. Staggirrand, and swaggirrand, They stoyter hame to sleip.
1810. Crabbe, Borough, i. 286. The tippling sailor, staggering home.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. xxv. 191. He … staggered like a drunken man, and fell upon the snow.
1886. G. R. Sims, Ring o’ Bells, etc. Prol. 3. A young woman … staggered towards the landlady, and then fell down in a swoon.
b. said of the legs or feet.
1665. Boyle, Occas. Refl., IV. xviii. (1848), 277. My Head began to grow giddy, and my Leggs to stagger towards the River.
1828. Lytton, Pelham, lxv. His feet staggered as he approached us.
c. In figurative context.
1579. J. Field, trans. Calvin’s 4 Serm., i. 10 b. For without this, man cannot come directly to God: but they stagger & reele, not knowing which way to turne themselues.
1598. Florio, Dict., Ep. Ded. 3. I haue seene the best, yea naturall Italians, not onely stagger, but euen sticke fast in the myre.
1652. Bp. Hall, Height Eloquence, p. xix. Great minds in their declination stagger into Fabling.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., II. V. v. The thing which the King’s Government did do was to stagger distractedly from contradiction to contradiction.
1860. Emerson, Cond. Life, Worship, Wks. (Bohn), II. 397. The churches stagger backward to the mummeries of the dark ages.
1887. L. J. Jennings, Gladstone, iii. 93. The ‘greatest of orators’ had once more staggered into a war which he was impotent to conduct.
d. As the result of a blow or encounter, or of carrying a heavy load. Const. under. lit. and fig.
1547. Boorde, Brev. Health, II. (1557), 6 b. Gyue that knaue or drabbe a phylyp with a club that they do stagger at it.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VIII., 49 b. The duke … with the but ende of the spere strake the Almayne that he staggared.
1682. Bunyan, Holy War, 164. For the grace, the benefit … was sudden, glorious, and so big, that they were not able without staggering to stand up under it.
1707. Addison, Pres. State War, ¶ 14. The enemy staggers; if you follow your blow, he falls at your feet; but if you allow him respite, he will recover his strength.
1752. Fielding, Amelia, 44. Without use and experience, the strongest minds and bodies both will stagger under a weight which habit might render easy and even contemptible.
1759. Ann. Reg., 48/1. This stroke, under which he was yet staggering.
1761. Hume, Hist. Eng., lxxi. (1806), V. 299. The … King, who was already staggering with the violent shocks which he had received.
1823. Scott, Quentin D., x. The first impulse of his surprise was to free his harquebuss by a violent exertion, which made the King stagger backward into the hall.
1850. R. G. Cumming, Hunter’s Life S. Afr. (1902), 62/2. The eland staggered for a moment, and subsided in the dust.
1863. Geo. Eliot, Romola (1880), II. II. ii. 25. He had staggered under the weight of the thrust.
1874. L. Stephen, Hours in Library (1892), I. x. 368. The bearers stagger under the heavy coffin and cry for help.
1896. Baden-Powell, Matabele Campaign, xii. Finding that their horses were but staggering on under them.
e. transf. Of a ship: To move unsteadily and with difficulty; esp. under a press of sail.
1840. R. H. Dana, Bef. Mast, xxv. With as much sail as she could stagger under.
1853. Kane, Grinnell Exp., xxiii. (1856), 184. We are staggering along under all sail.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Staggering under it, a ship’s labouring under as much canvas as she can bear.
1872. Blackie, Lays Highl., 9. The wherry staggered through the fretted deep.
1890. Conan Doyle, White Company, xvii. The cog, battered and torn and well-nigh water-logged, staggered in for this haven of refuge.
f. Of the senses: To become unsteady. rare.
1826. Hood, Fairy Tale, 117. The change was quite amazing; It made her senses stagger for a minute.
1846. Landor, Imag. Conv., Galileo, Milton & Dominican (1891), IV. 384. My sight staggers; the walls shake; he must be—do angels ever come hither?
† g. To ‘stumble’ or blunder into (a place).
1803. Bristed, Pedest. Tour, II. 518. The lady soon gave us to understand, that we had staggered into a bagnio.
2. fig. To begin to doubt or waver in an argument, opinion or purpose; to become less confident or determined; to hesitate or waver at. Now rare.
1533. More, Answ. Poysoned Bk., IV. viii. Wks. 1112/1. Then the disciples and apostles … must nedes haue woondered, stonned, and staggered, and haue been more inquisitiue therin then they were.
1582. N. T. (Rheims), Matt. xxi. 21. If you shal haue faith, and stagger not.
1593. Bilson, Govt. Christ’s Ch., 96. They … caused the strong to stagger at the truth of Paules doctrine.
1628. Prynne, Cens. Cozens, 40. Wee need not doubt nor stager at this Conclusion.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 158. Mahomet promised them his second glorious comming after a thousand yeares, which they seriously lately looking for, and seeing themselues guld by such credulity began to stagger.
1738. J. Fisher, Inestimable Value Div. Truth (1803), 46. They who once begin to stagger are at the next Door to Apostasy.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., I. IV. i. They stagger at the Double Representation, at the Vote by Head.
1883. J. Gilmour, Mongols, xvii. 202. A Buddhist … seems to stagger at the idea of a hell to the duration of which no period is assigned.
† b. const. in, about. Also with clause. Obs.
1555. Bonner, Homilies, 62. No appearaunce of reason to ye contrary thereof, shoulde cause vs once to doute or stagger in any part of the same.
1570–6. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826). 486. Of latter yeers there hath beene some strong opposition, and seeing that now at this day some doe incline, and others doe stagger therein, I [etc.].
1603. Shaks., Meas. for M., I. ii. 169. Whether the Tirranny be in his place, Or in his Eminence that fills it vp I stagger in.
1606. Wotton, in Life & Lett. (1907), I. 353. A … letter … which I dare not adventure by the ordinary post; and I must confess I am at the present somewhat staggering whether I shall send it by an especial messenger.
1619. Hieron, Penance for Sin, xii. Wks. II. 194. To stagger about either of which, is no little sinne.
1642. D. Rogers, Naaman, 6. I stagger much about this opinion.
1648. Gage, West Ind., 1. The people should not stagger in any lawfull doubts.
1686. trans. Chardin’s Coronat. Solyman, 100. They began to stagger in their Answers.
c. of purpose, opinion, faith, etc.
1627. Moryson, Itin., II. 64. Seeing no reason, why the Counsels of the warre should stagger upon his wel or ill doing.
1675. Machiavelli’s Prince, vi. (Rtldg.), 40. Their faith begins to stagger.
1800. Mrs. Hervey, Mourtray Fam., IV. 204. Lady Bingfield’s opinion staggered—she felt quite bewildered.
1813. Shelley, Q. Mab, i. 267. At whose immensity Even soaring fancy staggers.
3. Of an army, line of battle, etc.: To waver, become unsteady, give way.
1544. Betham, Precepts War, I. lxv. D iv b. To succour those companyes yt begynne to stagger and faynte.
a. 1660. Contemp. Hist. Irel. (Ir. Archæol. Soc.), I. 155. Causinge the bould enemie to stager.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, II. (Globe), 568. The Chineses, our Guard on the Front,… who had talk’d so big the Day before, began to stagger.
1829. [implied in STAGGERED ppl. a.]
4. Of a material thing: To sway or rock from side to side; to shake, rock or swing violently; to totter.
1530. Palsgr., 731/2. This house staggareth with every wynde.
1611. Bible, Ps. xcix. 1. He sitteth betweene the Cherubims, let the earth be mooued [marg. Hebr. stagger].
1633. P. Fletcher, Purple Isl., IV. vii. Her steddy race Staggers awhile, at length flies back apace.
1652. Crashaw, Carmen Deo Nostro, Wks. (1904), 252. When starres themselves shall stagger.
1681. Wittie, Surv. Heavens, 11. The Earth is so firmly establisht … in its proper place, that it cannot stagger.
1851. Longf., Golden Leg., i. Beneath me I can feel The great earth stagger and reel.
† 5. To stammer or falter in speaking. (Cf. STACKER v. 2.) Obs.
1565–98. [see STAGGERING vbl. sb.].
II. Transitive uses.
6. To cause (a person or animal) to reel or totter, esp. from a blow.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., V. v. 110. That hand shall burne in neuer-quenching fire, That staggers thus my person.
c. 1611. Chapman, Iliad, V. 299. It staggerd him vpon his knees, and made th’ Heroe stay His strooke-blind temples on his hand, his elbow on the earth.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, XVI. x. Jones was a little staggered by the blow, which came somewhat unexpectedly.
1750. Carte, Hist. Eng., II. 474. Eustace de Ribaumont … staggered him twice with the force of his blows.
1836. Marryat, Japhet, xlv. I received a blow on the head from behind, which staggered me.
1863. W. C. Baldwin, Afr. Hunting, viii. 331. My second barrel staggered him, and in fifty yards he fell.
1872. Tennyson, Gareth & Lynette, 530. I have stagger’d thy strong Gawain in a tilt For pastime.
1879. Stevenson, Trav. Cevennes (1886), 114. It was a furious windy morning … and I wandered until dinner … sorely staggered and beaten up by the gale.
b. transf. and fig.
1602. Marston, Antonio’s Rev., IV. i. I could not thus run mad, As one confounded in a maze of mischiefe, Staggerd, starke feld with brusing stroke of chance.
1647. Lilly, Chr. Astrol., To Rdr. 1. That yeer which afflicts me will stagger a Monarch and Kingdome.
a. 1711. Ken, Hymnotheo, Poet. Wks. 1721, III. 327. Both with like sensual Pleasure eat their Fill, Intoxicating Mind, and staggering Will.
1822. Shelley, Triumph Life, 197. Then like one who with the weight Of his own words is staggered, wearily He paused.
1872. Spurgeon, Treas. Dav., Ps. lxxv. 6. That cup of spiced wine of vengeance, one draft of which shall stagger all his foes.
7. fig. a. To bewilder, perplex, nonplus; to render helpless by a shock of amazement (or occas. horror). In passive, to be perplexed or astonished at.
1556. J. Heywood, Sp. & Flie, lxi. 81. Spiders harts it so perst, That it stagard and stonide all that hole bend.
1613. Shaks., Hen. VIII., II. iv. 212. The question did at first so stagger me,… that [etc.].
1653. W. Ramesey, Astrol. Restored, 108. It hath staggered the learnedst Writers in Divinity.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 6 Dec. 1680. The consideration of this and some other circumstances began to stagger me.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 117, ¶ 8. Sir Roger was several times staggered with the Reports that had been brought him concerning this old Woman.
1737. Fielding, Hist. Reg., I. i. I am a little stagger’d at the name of your piece.
1760–72. H. Brooke, Fool of Qual. (1809), III. 38. This last argument staggered me.
1787. Mme. D’Arblay, Diary, 16 Feb. He was staggered by this question.
1815. J. Cormack, Abol. Fem. Infanticide Guzerat, viii. 121. The first aspect of the difficulties … was such as might be allowed to stagger the stoutest heart.
1865. Dickens, Mut. Fr., I. viii. ‘Well!’ said Mr. Boffin a little staggered.
1883. Sir T. Martin, Ld. Lyndhurst, xi. 298. The Ministry were for the moment staggered by the magnitude of their defeat.
1913. Sir T. Barlow, in Times, 7 Aug., 8/2. We are staggered by the reasoned and calculated audacity of our brethren when sinuses of the skull are drained, cerebral abscesses evacuated, [etc.].
b. To shake the stability of (a country, a condition of things).
1613–8. Daniel, Coll. Hist. Eng., Wks. (Grosart), IV. 198. The report of Roberts returning from the Holy warres … might be noysed abroad to stagger the State.
1656. Heylin, Two Journ. France, 75. She will rather choose to leave her fine house uninhabited … then give the least opportunity to stagger her greatnesse.
1657. in Burton’s Diary (1828), II. 41. Nor would I have any man’s estate to be staggered or shaken by it.
1769. Robertson, Chas. V., III. VIII. 70. Such events … soon occurred, as staggered the credit which the Protestants had given to the Emperor’s declarations.
1884. N. Amer. Rev., Dec., 515. Then strikes and lock-outs occur, which stagger the prosperity, not of the business merely, but of the state.
1889. Stevenson, Edinburgh, 19. A dash that staggered Scotland to the heart.
c. Phrase. To stagger belief: to be incredible.
1756. Burke, Vind Nat. Soc., Wks. I. 30. Which shocks our humanity, and almost staggers our belief.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., I. 758. A scene of barbarity … which shocks the human mind and almost staggers belief.
1802–12. Bentham, Ration. Judic. Evid. (1827), V. 555, note. The technical system presents … enough to stagger belief.
1837. Whittock, Bk. Trades (1842), 409. (Soap Boiler) Such matters have been introduced to the Boilers as almost ‘staggered’ belief.
d. To shake, unsettle, cause to waver or falter (a person’s faith, opinion, purpose, etc.).
1617. Fletcher, Valentinian, III. i. Æcius. I have seen enough to stagger my obedience.
1659. Rushw., Hist. Collect., I. 140. The notice of a sharp Petition against Popish Recusants … did a little stagger his Resolution.
1704. Trapp, Abra-Mulé, III. i. 1194. Your good Opinion of my Truth was stagger’d E’er you knew all.
1732. Berkeley, Serm. S. P. G., Wks. III. 246. The prevailing torrent of Infidelity, which staggers the faith of some.
1823. Scott, Quentin D., xxi. His courage was not staggered, even for an instant.
1857. Maurice, Epist. St. John, xiii. 204. Do not let this stagger your faith.
e. To cause (a person) to falter or waver (in his faith or purpose).
1627. in Crt. & Times Chas. I. (1848), I. 268. My Lord of Holland … hath been a little staggered in the resolution of his journey.
1645. Charles I., in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. I. III. 318. It nowais staggars me in that good opinion which I have ever had of you.
1667. Pepys, Diary, 26 March. The Judge … did stagger us in our hopes, so as to make us despair of the success.
1709. Addison, Tatler, No. 108, ¶ 4. The son … began to establish a new religion in the family…; in which he succeeded so well, that he had … staggered his eldest sister.
1746. Francis, trans. Horace, Sat., II. v. 128. Whom all the Suitors amorously strove, In vain, to stagger in her plighted Love.
1791. ‘G. Gambado,’ Ann. Horsem., ix. (1809), 105. I am a good deal stagger’d in my belief, and dare not, at present, make public my opinion.
1825. Scott, Talism., xv. Richard … was once more staggered in his purpose by the dauntless determination of the criminal.
1848. Gallenga, Italy (1851), 271. The king and his advisers were not staggered in their warlike resolution.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., vi. II. 92. One of his parishioners who had been staggered by the arguments of Roman Catholic theologians.
† f. To cause to waver or fall from or into. Obs.
1658. Womock, Exam. Tilenus, 14. And if they be not drunk with … strong drink, they think ’tis no matter though the spirit of pride and disobedience stagger them into any schisme or heresie.
1679. Established Test, 7. Many were recalled whom the fear of Persecution had staggered from the Romish Religion.
† g. To throw doubt upon (a doctrine). Obs.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., I. x. 42. He … staggereth the immortality of the soul.
1833. Lamb, Elia, Ser. II. Barrenness Mod. Art. The paintings … of a modern artist, have been urged as objections to the theory of our motto: They are of a character, we confess, to stagger it.
† h. To bring to nought, confound (plots, counsels). Obs.
1629. N. Carpenter, Achitophel, II. (1640), 69. They would have heard the Lord often threatening … to stagger the counsell of the wicked.
1683. Lond. Gaz., 1856/5. Hereby the Machivilian contrivances of imbitter’d, envenom’d Mal-Contents … are Providentially detected, stagger’d, [etc.].
8. To cause to waver, throw into confusion (a line or body of troops).
1721. De Foe, Mem. Cavalier (1840), 178. He broke through the first line, and staggered the second.
1726. Shelvocke, Voy. round World, 262. This unexpected warm reception staggered a great many of my men.
1775. Ann. Reg., Hist. Europe, 134*. The king’s forces seem to have been unusually staggered in this attack.
1778. Cook, 3rd Voy., IV. iii. (1784), II. 331. At this they were so much staggered, that they plainly discovered their ignorance of the effect of fire-arms.
9. Mech. To arrange in zig-zag order, or in positions alternately on the one side and the other of a median line. (See also quot. 1902.)
1856. Patent Office Specif., No. 1560. The other wheel on the shaft in question (staggered with the relation to the first wheel) closes a circuit through one of the two pairs of electro-magnets which work the indicator.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., Stagger, to set spokes in a hub so that they are alternately on the respective sides of a median line, in order to give them a broader base, and a consequently greater stiffness to the wheel against lateral strain.
1902. R. Sturgis, Dict. Archit., III. 593. Stagger (v.), to arrange in alternate order…. By extension, to dispose floors so that each one is not continuous throughout the building, but so that they are arranged in two or more vertical series, each with its own independent system of heights.
1913. J. B. Bishop, Panama Gateway, V. vi. 381. The lamps are staggered so as to illuminate both lock chambers.
Hence Staggered ppl. a. in senses of the verb.
1622. Malynes, Anc. Law-Merch., 434. Some cannot choose to become weake in faith, staggard or desperate, when there is no man to speake a word of comfort in due season.
1829. Scott, Anne of G., xxxvi. A stately form, conspicuous in the front of the staggered column, raised up the fallen banner.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., Staggered Wheel, one whose spokes are set in and out alternately where they enter the hub.
1905. J. Horner, Tools Engineers, 143. The tool is of the notched, or staggered type.
1911. Blackw. Mag., July, 19/2. There was a staggered silence.
