Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 3–6 staker, 4–6 stakker, 5 stakar, (stakeryn), stakyr, 5–6 stakir, 6 stakkir, 5–7, 9 (dial.) stacker (Sc. dial. 8–9 stacher, 9 staucher). [a. ON. stakra to stagger; freq. of staka to push, to stagger. The Sc. form stacher is difficult to account for. STAGGER v. is an altered form of stacker.]
1. intr. To totter, reel in one’s gait, to stagger.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 24032. I stakerd sua i moght not stand.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 12377. Arthur was stoneyd, stakered, & stynt, But ȝut fel he nought for þat dynt.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 2687. She rist ȝit vp & stakerith her & ther.
c. 1400. Song of Roland, 730. Then euery of them brest vpon other, that þer stedes stakered right euyn þer.
c. 1440. York Myst., xxx. 84. For scho may stakir in þe strete But scho stalworthely stande.
1535. Coverdale, Ps. cvi. 27. They stacker like a droncken man.
c. 1550. Bale, K. Johan, 1997. Of terryble deathe thu wylt stacker in the plashes.
1597. G. Harvey, Trimming Nashe, Wks. (Grosart), III. 57. He eate the poyson, and presently (drunkard-like) stackered vp and downe, reeling backward and forward.
1597. Montgomerie, Cherrie & Slae, 303. I stakkerit at the windilstrayis.
1785. Burns, Death & Dr. Hornbook, iii. I stacher’d whyles but yet took tent ay To free the ditches.
1825. Brockett, N. C. Gloss., Stacker, to stagger.
b. transf.
1597. J. King, On Jonas (1618), 287. When hee had shipt himselfe, the vessell that bare him, stackered like a drunken man to and fro.
† 2. To stammer, hesitate in speech. Obs.
1440. [see STACKERING vbl. sb.].
1538. Elyot, Dict., Offensator, He that stakereth in redinge, as if he were not perfyte in reding. Ibid., Titubo, To stacker in speking or going, as a man being drunke or sycke.
† 3. fig. a. To be insecure or in danger of ruin. b. To waver, to hesitate mentally in a state of indecision. Obs.
1402. Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 40. Every state stakerth unstable in him silfe.
1526. Tindale, Rom. iv. 20. He stackered nott at the promes off God thorowe vnbelefe.
1533. More, Apol., xxii. 134 b. Calanius perceuyng them begyn in the mater somwhat to staker and staye, persuaded them [etc.].
1549. Coverdale, Erasm. Par., Jas., 32. He … whiche stackreth not to auenture in hys onely sonne whome he loued so syngularly.
