teeter

UK: /ˈtiːtə^r/ US: /ˈtitɚ/ ,(tē′tər)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

tee•ter /ˈtitɚ/   v. 

[no object]
1. Dialect Terms to move unsteadily:
   The ladder teetered, then crashed down.
2. to waver;
   fluctuate:
   Prices teetered on the edge of 150, then fell sharply.

n. [countable]

3. Dialect Terms a seesaw.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

tee•ter  (tē′tər), [Chiefly Northern U.S.]
v.i. 

1. Dialect Terms to move unsteadily.
2. Dialect Terms to ride a seesaw;
   teetertotter.

v.t. 

3. Dialect Terms to tip (something) up and down;
   move unsteadily.

n. 

4. Dialect Terms a seesaw motion;
   wobble.
5. Dialect Terms a seesaw;
   teetertotter.

• Old Norse titra tremble; cognate with German zittern to tremble, quiver
• variant of dialect, dialectal titter, Middle English titeren 1835–45

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

teeter / ˈtiːtə/ verb

1. to move or cause to move unsteadily; wobble

noun , verb

1. another word for seesaw

Etymology: 19th Century: from Middle English titeren, related to Old Norse titra to tremble, Old High German zittarōn to shiver