dodder
UK: ˈdɒdə | US: ˈdɑːdər
vi. to move unsteadily or tremble, as from weakness or age
n. a parasitic plant of the genus Cuscuta, lacking chlorophyll and twining around other plants
The word "dodder" originated in Middle English, imitating the shaky, unsteady motion of someone or something weak or aged. The verb form evolved to describe both physical trembling and the erratic growth of the parasitic plant, which lacks stability (rootedness) due to its dependence on hosts. The dual meanings reflect a shared logic of instability—whether in movement or biological structure.
The old man doddered across the room, leaning heavily on his cane.
The dodder plant twined around the host stem, draining its nutrients.
Her hands doddered as she tried to thread the needle.
Without support, the seedling doddered in the wind.
Scientists study how dodder locates its host plants chemically.