wobble

Etymology

From earlier wabble (“wobble”), probably from Low German wabbeln (“to wobble”). Compare Dutch wiebelen and wobbelen (“to wobble”), Old Norse vafla (“to hover about, totter”).

noun

1. An unsteady motion.
   The fat man walked down the street with a wobble.
   That should have been that, but Hart caught a dose of the Hennessey wobbles and spilled Adlene Guedioura's long-range shot. October 29, 2011, Neil Johnston, “Norwich 3 - 3 Blackburn”, in BBC Sport
2. A tremulous sound.
   There was a wobble on her high notes.
3. (music) A low-frequency oscillation sometimes used in dubstep.
   “I Knew You Were Trouble,” one of the year’s great pop songs, begins like a sock-hop anthem, with jaunty guitars. A dubstep wobble arrives about halfway through like a wrecking ball, changing the course not just of the song but also of Ms. Swift’s career. 2012-10-24, Jon Caramanica, “No More Kid Stuff for Taylor Swift”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
4. (genetics) A variation in the third nucleotide of a codon that codes for a specific aminoacid.

verb

1. (intransitive) To move with an uneven or rocking motion, or unsteadily to and fro.
   the Earth wobbles slowly on its axis
   the jelly wobbled on the plate
   Investors face a quandary. Cash offers a return of virtually zero in many developed countries; government-bond yields may have risen in recent weeks but they are still unattractive. Equities have suffered two big bear markets since 2000 and are wobbling again. It is hardly surprising that pension funds, insurers and endowments are searching for new sources of return. 2013-07-06, “The rise of smart beta”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8843, page 68
2. (intransitive) To tremble or quaver.
   The soprano's voice wobbled alarmingly.
3. (intransitive) To vacillate in one's opinions.
   I'm wobbling between the Liberals and the Greens.
4. (transitive) To cause to wobble.
   The boy wobbled the girl's bike.