stammer Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a speech disorder involving hesitations and involuntary repetitions of certain sounds
    stutter.
  2. verb speak haltingly
    falter; bumble; stutter.
    • The speaker faltered when he saw his opponent enter the room

WordNet

Stam"mer intransitive verb
Etymology
OE. stameren, fr. AS. stamur, stamer, stammering; akin to D. & LG. stameren to stammer, G. stammeln, OHG. stammaln, stammn, Dan. stamme, Sw. stamma, Icel. stama, stamma, OHG. & Dan. stam stammering, Icel. stamr, Goth. stamms, and to G. stemmen to bear against, stumm dumb, D. stom. Cf. Stem to resist, Stumble.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Stammered ; present participle & verbal noun Stammering
Definitions
  1. To make involuntary stops in uttering syllables or words; to hesitate or falter in speaking; to speak with stops and diffivulty; to stutter.
    I would thou couldst stammer, that thou mightest pour this conclead man out of thy mouth, as wine comes out of a narrow-mouthed bottle, either too much at once, or none at all. Shak.
Stam"mer transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To utter or pronounce with hesitation or imperfectly; -- sometimes with out.
Stam"mer noun
Definitions
  1. Defective utterance, or involuntary interruption of utterance; a stutter.

Webster 1913