quiver1
/ˈkwɪvə
/verb [no object]
1Tremble or shake with a slight rapid motion: the tree’s branches stopped quivering Juliet’s lower lip quivered...
- You are instantly transported into an enchanting vista of cool water-filled ponds that quiver and shimmer with shadows that change with the time of day.
- The leaves shook and quivered.
- The earth shook and quivered underfoot.
Synonyms
tremble, shake, shiver, quaver, quake, shudder, convulse
flutter, agitate, vibrate, flap, beat
1.1 [with object] Cause (something) to make a slight rapid motion: the bird runs along in a zigzag path, quivering its wings...
- Joe is ready to bail out of EastEnders and try his hand at something other than quivering his bottom lip and having bad facial hair.
- At over 350 quid the boss is likely to quiver his bottom lip but my mind is made up, I want one.
- We'd pulled the car up on the hills east of Rosedale and three yards the other side of the glass a cold wind quivered a lapwing's crest.
noun
A slight trembling movement or sound, especially one caused by a sudden strong emotion: she couldn’t help the quiver in her voice...
- He had noticed her shaking and the slight quiver in her voice as she finished her story.
- He ignored the slight quiver in his voice; after all, these English rooms echoed so oddly.
- Although she had intended to sound indignant, the quiver in her voice betrayed the chuckle she was controlling.
Synonyms
tremor, tremble, shake, shaking, shakiness, shiver, frisson, chill, vibration, quaver, quake, shudder, flutter, oscillation, fluctuation, waver, ripple, falter
Derivatives
quiveringly
- I'm ready, quiveringly ready to do amazing things.
- The taboo lies with them, certainly not we quiveringly sexual beings.
- The violins thirds quiveringly descend from the climax to a low F and the final quatrain returns to narration, over the fiddle's sustained bitonal notes.
quivery
- To her ears, her voice sounded weak and quivery.
- His voice proves surprisingly calming - a little quieter and quivery with the years, but still smooth, strong, and sober.
- But the words were so soft and quivery that Jake couldn't have believed them.
Origin
Middle English: from Old English cwifer 'nimble, quick'. The initial qu- is probably symbolic of quick movement (as in quaver and quick).
Rhymes
quiver2
/ˈkwɪvə/noun
1An archer’s portable case for holding arrows.He also had a framed backpack, a utility belt containing tools, a quiver containing 14 arrows, a flint dagger and most amazing of all, a copper axe....
- Joshua could make out that while some archers carried one quiver of arrows, many carried up to three.
- Smoothly, he drew another arrow from the quiver and nocked it to the bow.
1.1A set of surfboards of different lengths and shapes for use with different types of waves: he had created a whole new quiver of boards specifically for Hawaii...
- Sure it would be great if we all rode a quiver of all kinds of boards and had a magazine focussing on the whole of surfing and not individual parts, but the chances is slim.
- Now I need a wetsuit and a surfboard… bummer I didn't bring over at least one board from my quiver in NZ with me.
- No need to bring your own surfboard; the Cascade travels with a diverse quiver of more than 60 boards.
Phrases
an arrow in the quiver
Origin
Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French quiveir, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch koker and German Köcher.