quaver

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: qua=ver

CIDE DICTIONARY

quaver, v. i. [OE. quaven to shake, to tremble; cf. LG. quabbeln to shake, to be soft, of fat substances, quabbe a fat lump of flesh, a dewlap, D. kwabbe, and E. quiver, v.].

•  To tremble; to vibrate; to shake.  Sir I. Newton.  [1913 Webster]
•  Especially, to shake the voice; to utter or form sound with rapid or tremulous vibrations, as in singing; also, to trill on a musical instrument  [1913 Webster]

quaver, v. t. 

 To utter with quavers.  [1913 Webster]
"We shall hear her quavering them . . . to some sprightly airs of the opera."  [1913 Webster]

quaver, n. 

•  A shake, or rapid and tremulous vibration, of the voice, or of an instrument of music.  [1913 Webster]
•  An eighth note. See Eighth.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

quaver, v. & n.
--v.
1 intr. a (esp. of a voice or musical sound) vibrate, shake, tremble. b use trills or shakes in singing.
2 tr. a sing (a note or song) with quavering. b (often foll. by out) say in a trembling voice.
--n.
1 Mus. a note having the time value of an eighth of a semibreve or half a crotchet and represented by a large dot with a hooked stem. Also called eighth note.
2 a trill in singing.
3 a tremble in speech.

Derivative

quaveringly adv.

Etymology

ME f. quave, perh. f. OE cwafian (unrecorded: cf. cwacian QUAKE)

THESAURUS

quaver

Bebung, accidental, anthem, aphonia, artificial voice, ballad, bob, bobble, bounce, break, breve, broken speech, broken tones, broken voice, bump, carol, chant, chatter, childish treble, chirp, chirrup, choir, choked voice, chorus, cracked voice, croak, croon, crotchet, crow, demisemiquaver, descant, didder, disquiet, disquietude, dither, dithers, do-re-mi, dominant, dominant note, double whole note, drawl, dysarthria, dyslalia, dyslogia, dysphasia, dysphonia, dysphrasia, eighth note, enharmonic, enharmonic note, falsetto, falter, fidget, fidgetiness, fidgets, flat, flip out, fluctuate, fluctuation, flutter, freak out on, get high on, glow, go pitapat, grimace, half note, harshness, have an ague, have the fidgets, have the shakes, hawking voice, heave, heaving, hemidemisemiquaver, hesitate, hiss, hoarseness, hum, hustle, hymn, idioglossia, idiolalia, impairment of speech, inquietude, intonate, intone, jactitate, jar, jerk, jig, jigget, jiggle, jog, joggle, jolt, jostle, jounce, jump, lilt, lisp, lisping, loss of voice, mince, minim, minstrel, musical note, muzzy speech, nasal tone, nasalization, natural, note, oscillate, oscillation, palpitate, palpitation, pant, panting, patent note, pipe, pitapat, pitter-patter, psalm, quake, quaking, quarter note, quavering, quiver, quivering, report, responding note, restlessness, rictus, roulade, semibreve, semiquaver, serenade, shake, shake all over, shakes, shaking, shaped note, sharp, shiver, shivers, shock, shudder, sibilation, sing, sing in chorus, sixteenth note, sixty-fourth note, sol-fa, solmizate, speech defect, speech impediment, spiccato, squirm, staccato, sustained note, swell, swell with emotion, talk incoherently, tercet, thirty-second note, thrill, thrill to, throb, throbbing, tic, tingle, tingle with excitement, tone, toss, toss and turn, tremble, trembling, tremolando, tremolant, tremolo, tremor, trepidation, trepidity, trill, trillet, trilleto, trillo, triplet, troll, tumble, turn on to, twang, tweedle, tweedledee, twist and turn, twit, twitch, twitter, unrest, vacillate, vibrate, vibration, vibrato, vocalize, warble, waver, wavering, whistle, whole note, wiggle, wobble, wriggle, writhe, yodel

ROGET THESAURUS

quaver

Fear

VB fear, stand in awe of, be afraid, have qualms, apprehend, sit upon thorns, eye askance, distrust, hesitate, falter, funk, cower, crouch, skulk, let 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would' take fright, take alarm, start, wince, flinch, shy, shrink, fly, tremble, shake, shiver, shiver in one's shoes, shudder, flutter, shake like an aspen leaf, tremble like an aspen leaf, tremble all over, quake, quaver, quiver, quail, grow pale, turn pale, blench, stand aghast, not dare to say one's soul is one's own, inspire fear, excite fear, inspire awe, excite awe, raise apprehensions, be in a daze, bulldoze, faze, feeze, give an alarm, raise an alarm, sound an alarm, alarm, startle, scare, cry 'wolf', disquiet, dismay, fright, frighten, terrify, astound, fright from one's propriety, fright out of one's senses, fright out of one's wits, fright out of one's seven senses, awe, strike all of a heap, strike an awe into, strike terror, harrow up the soul, appall, unman, petrify, horrify, pile on the agony, make one's flesh creep, make one's hair stand on end, make one's blood run cold, make one's teeth chatter, take away one's breath, stop one's breath, make one tremble, haunt, prey on the mind, weigh on the mind, put in fear, put in bodily fear, terrorize, intimidate, cow, daunt, overawe, abash, deter, discourage, browbeat, bully, threaten.

Oscillation

VB oscillate, vibrate, librate, alternate, undulate, wave, rock, swing, pulsate, beat, wag, waggle, nod, bob, courtesy, curtsy, tick, play, wamble, wabble, dangle, swag, fluctuate, dance, curvet, reel, quake, quiver, quaver, shake, flicker, wriggle, roll, toss, pitch, flounder, stagger, totter, move up and down, bob up and down, pass and repass, ebb and flow, come and go, vacillate, teeter, brandish, shake, flourish.

Agitation

N agitation, stir, tremor, shake, ripple, jog, jolt, jar, jerk, shock, succussion, trepidation, quiver, quaver, dance, jactitation, quassation, shuffling, twitter, flicker, flutter, turbulence, perturbation, commotion, turmoil, disquiet, tumult, tumultuation, hubbub, rout, bustle, fuss, racket, subsultus, staggers, megrims, epilepsy, fits, carphology, chorea, floccillation, the jerks, St. Vitus's dance, tilmus, spasm, throe, throb, palpitation, convulsion, disturbance, chaos, restlessness, ferment, fermentation, ebullition, effervescence, hurly-burly, cahotage, tempest, storm, ground swell, heavy sea, whirlpool, vortex, whirlwind, shaking, agitated tremulous, desultory, subsultory, saltatoric, quasative, shambling, giddy-paced, saltatory, convulsive, unquiet, restless, all of a twitter, by fits and starts, subsultorily, per saltum, hop skip and jump, in convulsions, in fits, tempete dans un verre d'eau.

VB be agitated, shake, tremble, tremble like an aspen leaf, quiver, quaver, quake, shiver, twitter, twire, writhe, toss, shuffle, tumble, stagger, bob, reel, sway, wag, waggle, wriggle, wriggle like an eel, dance, stumble, shamble, flounder, totter, flounce, flop, curvet, prance, cavort, squirm, throb, pulsate, beat, palpitate, go pitapat, flutter, flitter, flicker, bicker, bustle, ferment, effervesce, foam, boil, boil over, bubble up, simmer, toss about, jump about, jump like a parched pea, shake like an aspen leaf, shake to its center, shake to its foundations, be the sport of the winds and waves, reel to and fro like a drunken man, move from post to pillar and from pillar to post, drive from post to pillar and from pillar to post, keep between hawk and buzzard, agitate, shake, convulse, toss, tumble, bandy, wield, brandish, flap, flourish, whisk, jerk, hitch, jolt, jog, joggle, jostle, buffet, hustle, disturb, stir, shake up, churn, jounce, wallop, whip, vellicate.

Roll

N roll, drumming, berloque, bombination, rumbling, tattoo, drumroll, dingdong, tantara, rataplan, whirr, ratatat, ratatat-tat, rubadub, pitapat, quaver, clutter, charivari, racket, cuckoo, repetition, peal of bells, devil's tattoo, reverberation, clickety-clack, hum, purr, hummingbird, cat, kitten (animal sounds), rolling, monotonous, like a bee in a bottle.

Concord

N concord, accord, harmony, symphony, homologue, agreement, sympathy, empathy, response, union, unison, unity, bonds of harmony, peace, unanimity, league, happy family, rapprochement, reunion, amity, alliance, entente cordiale, good understanding, conciliation, peacemaker, intercessor, mediator, concordant, congenial, agreeing, in accord, harmonious, united, cemented, banded together, allied, friendly, fraternal, conciliatory, at one with, of one mind, at peace, in still water, tranquil, with one voice, in concert with, hand in hand, on one's side, commune periculum concordiam parit, melody concord, melody, rhythm, measure, rhyme, pitch, timbre, intonation, tone, scale, gamut, diapason, diatonic chromatic scale, enharmonic scale, key, clef, chords, modulation, temperament, syncope, syncopation, preparation, suspension, resolution, staff, stave, line, space, brace, bar, rest, appoggiato, appoggiatura, acciaccatura, note, musical note, notes of a scale, sharp, flat, natural, high note, low note, interval, semitone, second, third, fourth, diatessaron, breve, semibreve, minim, crotchet, quaver, semiquaver, demisemiquaver, hemidemisemiquaver, sustained note, drone, burden, tonic, key note, leading note, fundamental note, supertonic, mediant, dominant, submediant, subdominant, octave, tetrachord, major key, minor key, major scale, minor scale, major mode, minor mode, passage, phrase, concord, harmony, emmeleia, unison, unisonance, chime, homophony, euphony, euphonism, tonality, consonance, consent, part, harmony, harmonics, thorough-bass, fundamental-bass, counterpoint, faburden, piece of music, composer, harmonist, contrapuntist (musician), harmonious, harmonical, in concord, in tune, in concert, unisonant, concentual, symphonizing, isotonic, homophonous, assonant, ariose, consonant, measured, rhythmical, diatonic, chromatic, enharmonic, melodious, musical, melic, tuneful, tunable, sweet, dulcet, canorous, mellow, mellifluous, soft, clear, clear as a bell, silvery, euphonious, euphonic, euphonical, symphonious, enchanting fine-toned, full-toned, silver-toned, harmoniously, in harmony, as one, the hidden soul of harmony.

Musician

VB play, pipe, strike up, sweep the chords, tweedle, fiddle, strike the lyre, beat the drum, blow the horn, sound the horn, wind the horn, doodle, grind the organ, touch the guitar, thrum, strum, beat time, execute, perform, accompany, sing a second, play a second, compose, set to music, arrange, sing, chaunt, chant, hum, warble, carol, chirp, chirrup, lilt, purl, quaver, trill, shake, twitter, whistle, sol-fa, intone, have an ear for music, have a musical ear, have a correct ear.