Adjacent Words

Tremble definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

TREM'BLE, v.i. [L. tremo.]
1. To shake involuntarily, as with fear, cold or weakness; to quake; to quiver; to shiver; to shudder.
Frighted Turnus trembled as he spoke.
2. To shake; to quiver; to totter.
Sinai's gray top shall tremble.
3. To quaver; to shake, as sound; as when we say, the voice trembles.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a reflex motion caused by cold or fear or excitement [syn: tremble, shiver, shake] v
1: move or jerk quickly and involuntarily up and down or sideways; "His hands were trembling when he signed the document"

Merriam Webster's

I. intransitive verb (trembled; trembling) Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French trembler, from Medieval Latin tremulare, from Latin tremulus tremulous, from tremere to tremble; akin to Greek tremein to tremble Date: 14th century 1. to shake involuntarily (as with fear or cold) ; shiver 2. to move, sound, pass, or come to pass as if shaken or tremulous <the building trembled from the blast> 3. to be affected with great fear or anxiety <trembled for the safety of her child> • trembler noun II. noun Date: 1609 1. an act or instance of trembling; especially a fit or spell of involuntary shaking or quivering 2. plural but singular in construction severe poisoning of livestock and especially cattle by a toxic alcohol present in a snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosum) and rayless goldenrod that is characterized especially by muscular tremors, weakness, and constipation

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v.intr. 1 shake involuntarily from fear, excitement, weakness, etc. 2 be in a state of extreme apprehension (trembled at the very thought of it). 3 move in a quivering manner (leaves trembled in the breeze). --n. 1 a trembling state or movement; a quiver (couldn't speak without a tremble). 2 (in pl.) a disease (esp. of cattle) marked by trembling. Phrases and idioms: all of a tremble colloq. 1 trembling all over. 2 extremely agitated. trembling poplar an aspen. Derivatives: tremblingly adv. Etymology: ME f. OF trembler f. med.L tremulare f. L tremulus TREMULOUS

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Tremble Trem"ble, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Trembled; p. pr. & vb. n. Trembling.] [F. trembler, fr. L. tremulus trembling, tremulous, fr. tremere to shake, tremble; akin to Gr. ?, Lith. trimti. Cf. Tremulous, Tremor.] 1. To shake involuntarily, as with fear, cold, or weakness; to quake; to quiver; to shiver; to shudder; -- said of a person or an animal. I tremble still with fear. --Shak. Frighted Turnus trembled as he spoke. --Dryden. 2. To totter; to shake; -- said of a thing. The Mount of Sinai, whose gray top Shall tremble. --Milton. 3. To quaver or shake, as sound; to be tremulous; as the voice trembles.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Tremble Trem"ble, n. An involuntary shaking or quivering. I am all of a tremble when I think of it. --W. Black.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(trembles, trembling, trembled) 1. If you tremble, you shake slightly because you are frightened or cold. His mouth became dry, his eyes widened, and he began to tremble all over... Gil was white and trembling with anger... With trembling fingers, he removed the camera from his pocket. = shake VERB: V, V with n, V-ing • Tremble is also a noun. I will never forget the look on the patient's face, the tremble in his hand. N-SING: usu N in/of n 2. If something trembles, it shakes slightly. (LITERARY) He felt the earth tremble under him... = quiver VERB: V 3. If your voice trembles, it sounds unsteady and uncertain, usually because you are upset or nervous. (LITERARY) His voice trembled, on the verge of tears. = shake VERB: V • Tremble is also a noun. 'Please understand this,' she began, a tremble in her voice. N-SING: usu N in/of n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. n. 1. Quake, shake, shudder, shiver, quiver. 2. Shake, totter, oscillate, rock, quake. 3. Quaver, shake.

Moby Thesaurus

Bebung, all-overs, be cold, bob, bobble, bounce, bump, chatter, chill, cold shivers, cold sweat, cower, didder, disquiet, disquietude, dither, dithers, dodder, falter, fidget, fidgetiness, fidgets, flip out, flutter, freak out on, freeze, freeze to death, get high on, glow, go pitapat, grimace, grow cold, halt, have a chill, have an ague, have goose pimples, have the fidgets, have the jitters, have the shakes, heave, heaving, heebie-jeebies, horripilate, hustle, inquietude, jactitate, jar, jerk, jig, jigget, jiggle, jimjams, jitter, jitters, jog, joggle, jolt, jostle, jounce, jump, jumps, limp, lose heat, palpitate, palpitation, pant, panting, perish with cold, pitapat, pitter-patter, quail, quake, quaking, quaver, quavering, quiver, quivering, quivers, restlessness, rictus, rock, shake, shake all over, shakes, shaking, shiver, shivers, shock, shrink, shudder, squirm, sweat, swell, swell with emotion, teeter, thrill, thrill to, throb, throbbing, tic, tingle, tingle with excitement, toss, toss and turn, totter, trembles, trembling, tremolando, tremolant, tremolo, tremor, trepidation, trepidity, trill, trillet, trilleto, trillo, tumble, turn on to, twist and turn, twitch, twitter, unrest, vibrate, vibration, vibrato, wiggle, willies, wince, wobble, wriggle, writhe