noun / verb

bobble

BAH-bul/bˈɔbʌl/

To move with a small wobble or unsteady bounce.

The mug bobbles between the man's fumbling hands as he tries to catch it.

An older man fumbles a ceramic mug: it tips sideways just beyond his fingertips while his other hand scrambles underneath to catch it, visibly almost dropped rather than securely held.

Etymology

Bob plus the repeated-action ending gives the image of continual jerking movement. Applied to handling an object, this becomes an unsteady, clumsy attempt to keep hold of it.

More examples

The fielder bobbled the ball before securing it.
A small bobble delayed the otherwise smooth presentation.
Her head bobbled with each bump in the road.

Forms

bobble · bobbles · bobbled · bobbling

Similar words

wobble: An unsteady side-to-side movement rather than a handling error.
fumble: Mishandles something rather than simply bouncing unsteadily.