v. rare. [f. L. tibubāt-, ppl. stem of titubāre to stagger. (See note to TITUBANCY.)]
1. intr. To stagger, reel, totter, stumble; to rock, roll.
1575. Laneham, Lett. (1871), 24. His mare in hiz manage did a littl so titubate, that mooch a doo had hiz manhod to sit in his sadl, & too scape the foyl of a fall.
1715. trans. Gregory’s Astron., I. (1726), I. 149. At least it [the Sun] ought to titubate or reel as it were, being sometimes attracted more this way, sometimes more that way, according as more Planets happen to come together on the same side.
1854. Badham, Halieut., 530. As neither servants nor links were allowed, it was unpleasant to go titubating home in the dark.
1879. Webster, Suppl., Titubate, to rock, or roll, as a curved body on a plane.
2. fig. To stammer; to falter in speaking.
[Cf. Ovid. A. A., I. 598 titubat lingua.]
1623. Cockeram, Titubate, to stammer in speaking.
1656. Blount, Glossogr., Titubate,… by metaphor to stutter or stammer in speaking.
1820. L. Hunt, Indicator, No. 53 (1822), II. 6. His voice a little titubating with wine.
Hence Titubating ppl. a.
1653. Waterhouse, Apol. Learn., 29. But what became of this titubating … mountain of snow?
1899. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., VII. 87. A titubating gait.
