◙ verb 1. [no obj.] walk or move unsteadily, as if about to fall • 摇晃；踉跄；蹒跚 »he staggered to his feet, swaying a little. 他摇摇晃晃地站起来，身体有点不稳。 [with obj. and adverbial of direction] (figurative)continue in existence or operation uncertainly or precariously • [喻] 动荡不安 »the treasury staggered from one crisis to the next. 财政部动荡不安，危机接连不断。 (archaic)waver in purpose;hesitate • [古] 动摇；犹豫 (archaic)(of a blow) cause (someone) to walk or move unsteadily, as if about to fall • [古] （重击）使摇晃，使踉跄；使蹒跚 »the collision staggered her and she fell. 碰撞使她踉跄几下，摔倒在地上。 2. [withobj.] astonish or deeply shock • 使吃惊；使震惊 »I was staggered to find it was six o'clock. 我惊异地发现已经六点了。 »[as adj. staggering] the staggering bills for maintenance and repair. 高得令人吃惊的维修账单。 3. [with obj.] arrange (events, payments, hours, etc.) so that they do not occur at the same time; spread over a period of time • 使（事件、付款、时间等）错开，使分开进行 »meetings are staggered throughout the day. 各种会议在一整天里都错开来举行。 arrange (objects or parts of an object) in a zigzag order or so that they are not in line • 使（物体，物体的组成部分）交错排列 »stagger the screws at each joint. 在每个接头交错使用螺丝钉。 ◙ noun, [in sing.] 1. an unsteady walk or movement • 摇晃；踉跄；蹒跚 »the pub is within an easy stagger of his office. 从他的办公室随意走几步就是那个酒馆。 2. an arrangement of things in a zigzag order or so that they are not in line, in particular • 交错安排，尤指 (the stagger)the arrangement of the runners in lanes on a running track at the start of a race, so that the runner in the inside lane is positioned behind those in the next lane and so on until the outside lane • 赛跑选手起跑时的梯形排列 [mass noun] an arrangement of the wings of a biplane so that their front edges are not in line • （双翼机机翼的）斜罩（使两个机翼前端不会处于一条线上）
1. late Middle English (as a verb): alteration of dialect stacker, from Old Norse stakra, frequentative of staka 'push, stagger'. The noun dates from the late 16th cent