Doubt
Etymology
From Latin "dubitare" (to waver, hesitate, be uncertain), akin to "duo" (two) — doubt is a kind of two-mindedness, the mind pulled between two options. The silent "b" in English is a scribal insertion, added to echo the Latin spelling even though it was never pronounced.
noun · /DOWT/
A feeling of uncertainty about whether something is true or wise.
What it names
A handle for the wavering between two possibilities — the unsettled state that either paralyzes or prompts inquiry.
Example
A flicker of doubt made her reread the contract before signing.
Related idea
Distinguish doubt from skepticism: doubt is a felt state of uncertainty that can simply stall you, while skepticism is a deliberate method of withholding assent until evidence arrives. Doubt is what happens to you; skepticism is what you do.
See also