Wabbles

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. To move unsteadily from side to side
2. To shake or sway when balanced precariously
3. To fluctuate or vary in a manner that is inconsistent or unstable

Etymology: "Wabbles" is the third-person singular present form of the verb "wabble," so it simply means "wabbles" in the sense of a single subject moving unsteadily back and forth, as a wobbling chair leg or a wobbly jelly might. The verb "wabble" appears to be related to German "wabbeln," which means the same thing, to wobble or quiver. English also has the word "whap," a sound-imitative term for a sharp blow, which suggests the family of words shares a sense of quick, irregular motion. Alongside these, the source points to "quaver," the English word for a trembling or shaking sound, which carries a similar sense of unsteady oscillation.