stagger

«stagger» in Mova's school dictionary: To walk or move unsteadily, almost falling, because you… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

verb (stagger, staggers, staggered, staggering); noun (a stagger)

meaning for a pupil

1) To walk or move unsteadily, almost falling, because you are hurt, tired, dizzy or carrying something heavy. tree →

2) To shock or amaze someone very much. tree →

3) To arrange things so they do not all happen at the same time, like staggered lunch breaks or a staggered start in a race. tree →

4) (noun) An unsteady walk. tree →

sense in the lessons

In stories a character staggers when hurt, exhausted or dizzy. In news and maths, big numbers «stagger» people (they are amazing). At school, lunch times and race starts are staggered so lanes are fair: runners on outer lanes start ahead because the outer track is longer.

examples

• He staggered under the weight of the heavy box. tree →
• The tired runner staggered over the finish line. tree →
• I was staggered by how much the trip cost. tree →
• Lunch breaks are staggered so the hall isn't too crowded. tree →
• In the 200 m race, the start is staggered. tree →
• She staggered out of the spinning teacups ride laughing. tree →
• With a willow cane he propped himself up as he staggered along beneath his burden. tree →

note

Regular verb; double g. «Staggered» (adjective) means shocked or arranged at different times. «Staggering» (adjective) means amazing. In maths, staggered times means start times spaced out, e.g. groups every 10 minutes.

In the corpora

• Before they set off, the Rat climbs up into his hole and comes back staggering under a fat wicker picnic basket.
• Just then the shopper is back, staggering under a full basket, and soon the table is covered with good things.
• Thou hast made Thy people to see hard things; Thou hast made us to drink the wine of staggering.
• They reeled to and fro, and staggered like a drunken man, and all their wisdom was swallowed up —
• They grope in the dark without light, and He maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «stagger» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.