- to walk, move, or stand unsteadily.
- to falter or begin to give way, as in an argument or fight.
- to waver or begin to doubt, as in purpose or opinion; hesitate: After staggering momentarily, he recognized that he had to make a decision.
- to cause to reel, totter, or become unsteady: This load would stagger an elephant.
- to shock; render helpless with amazement or the like; astonish: The vastness of outer space staggers the mind.
- to cause to waver or falter: The news staggered her belief in the triumph of justice.
- to arrange in a zigzag order or manner on either side of a center: The captain staggered the troops along the road.
- to arrange otherwise than at the same time, especially in a series of alternating or continually overlapping intervals: They planned to stagger lunch hours so that the cafeteria would not be rushed.
- to arrange (the wings of a biplane or the like) so that the entering edge of an upper wing is either in advance of or behind that of a corresponding lower wing.
- the act of staggering; a reeling or tottering movement or motion.
- a staggered order or arrangement.
- Aeronautics.
- a staggered arrangement of wings.
- the amount of staggering.
- staggers. (used with a singular verb)Veterinary Pathology.
- acute selenium poisoning of livestock characterized by a staggering gait usually followed by respiratory failure and death.
- a condition of unknown cause, occurring in pregnant sheep, cattle, and other animals during or just following extended transport, characterized by a staggering gait and progressive paralysis.
- to walk or cause to walk unsteadily as if about to fall
- to astound or overwhelm, as with shock
- to place or arrange in alternating or overlapping positions or time periods to prevent confusion or congestion
- to falter or hesitate
- to set (the wings of a biplane) so that the leading edge of one extends beyond that of the other
- the act or an instance of staggering
- a staggered arrangement on a biplane, etc
