[syn: bumble, stutter, stammer, falter]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Bumble \Bum"ble\, n. [See Bump to boom.] (Zool.)
The bittern. [Local, Eng.]
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Bumble \Bum"ble\, v. i.
To make a hollow or humming noise, like that of a bumblebee;
to buzz; to cry as a bittern.
[1913 Webster]
As a bittern bumbleth in the mire. --Chaucer.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Bumble \Bum"ble\, v. i.
to act ineptly or without clear understanding of what one is
doing; to blunder; to stumble about; -- sometimes used with
around.
[PJC]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Bumble \Bum"ble\, v. t.
to bungle (a task).
[PJC]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
bumble
v 1: make a mess of, destroy or ruin; "I botched the dinner and
we had to eat out"; "the pianist screwed up the difficult
passage in the second movement" [syn: botch, bodge,
bumble, fumble, botch up, muff, blow, flub,
screw up, ball up, spoil, muck up, bungle,
fluff, bollix, bollix up, bollocks, bollocks up,
bobble, mishandle, louse up, foul up, mess up,
fuck up]
2: walk unsteadily; "The drunk man stumbled about" [syn:
stumble, falter, bumble]
3: speak haltingly; "The speaker faltered when he saw his
opponent enter the room" [syn: bumble, stutter,
stammer, falter]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
38 Moby Thesaurus words for "bumble":
be all thumbs, blow, blunder, blunder away, blunder into,
blunder on, blunder upon, bobble, boggle, bollix, bombinate, botch,
bum, bungle, butcher, buzz, commit a gaffe, drone, faux pas,
flounder, fumble, lumber, lurch, mar, miscue, mucker, muddle, muff,
murder, play havoc with, screw up, slip, snapper, spoil, strum,
stumble, thrum, trip