vibrate

• POS: Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: vi=brate

CIDE DICTIONARY

vibrate, v. t. [L. vibratus, p. p. of vibrare, v. t. & v. i., to shake, brandish, vibrate; akin to Skr. vip to tremble, Icel. veifa to wave, vibrate. See Waive and cf. Whip, v. t.].

•  To brandish; to move to and fro; to swing; as, to vibrate a sword or a staff.  [1913 Webster]
•  To mark or measure by moving to and fro; as, a pendulum vibrating seconds.  [1913 Webster]
•  To affect with vibratory motion; to set in vibration.  [1913 Webster]

  "Breath vocalized, that is, vibrated or undulated, may . . . impress a swift, tremulous motion."  [1913 Webster]

  "Star to star vibrates light."  [1913 Webster]

vibrate, v. i. 

•  To move to and fro, or from side to side, as a pendulum, an elastic rod, or a stretched string, when disturbed from its position of rest; to swing; to oscillate.  [1913 Webster]
•  To have the constituent particles move to and fro, with alternate compression and dilation of parts, as the air, or any elastic body; to quiver.  [1913 Webster]
•  To produce an oscillating or quivering effect of sound; as, a whisper vibrates on the ear.  Pope.  [1913 Webster]
•  To pass from one state to another; to waver; to fluctuate; as, a man vibrates between two opinions.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

vibrate, v.
1 intr. & tr. move or cause to move continuously and rapidly to and fro; oscillate.
2 intr. Physics move unceasingly to and fro, esp. rapidly.
3 intr. (of a sound) throb; continue to be heard.
4 intr. (foll. by with) quiver, thrill (vibrating with passion).
5 intr. (of a pendulum) swing to and fro.

Derivative

vibrative adj.

Etymology

L vibrare vibrat- shake, swing

THESAURUS

vibrate

bob, bobble, bounce, bump, careen, chatter, coggle, continue, dangle, didder, falter, fluctuate, flutter, have an ague, hustle, jactitate, jar, jog, joggle, jolt, jostle, jounce, jump, librate, lurch, nutate, occur often, oscillate, pendulate, pitch, pulsate, pulse, quake, quaver, quiver, recur, reel, resonate, reverberate, rock, roll, shake, shiver, shock, shudder, swag, sway, swing, throb, toss, tremble, tremor, twitter, vacillate, wag, waggle, wave, waver, wobble

ROGET THESAURUS

vibrate

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.