Shakily grips a branch (5)
I believe the answer is:
sprig
'a branch' is the definition.
(sprig is a kind of branch)
'shakily grips' is the wordplay.
'shakily' indicates anagramming the letters.
'grips' with letters rearranged gives 'SPRIG'.
(Other definitions for sprig that I've seen before include "A child" , "Headless nail; leafy ornament" , "Small stem bearing flowers" , "Small twig" , "Grips with a small branch" .)