Quake

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Quake, v. i. [AS. cwacian; cf. G. quackeln. Cf. Quagmire.].

•  To be agitated with quick, short motions continually repeated; to shake with fear, cold, etc.; to shudder; to tremble.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]

  "She stood quaking like the partridge on which the hawk is ready to seize."  [1913 Webster]
•  To shake, vibrate, or quiver, either from not being solid, as soft, wet land, or from violent convulsion of any kind; as, the earth quakes; the mountains quake.  Macaulay.  [1913 Webster]

Quake, v. t. [Cf. AS. cweccan to move, shake. See Quake, v. t.].

 To cause to quake.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

Quake, n. 

 A tremulous agitation; a quick vibratory movement; a shudder; a quivering.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Quake, v. & n.
--v.intr.
1 shake, tremble.
2 rock to and fro.
3 (of a person) shake or shudder (was quaking with fear).
--n.
1 colloq. an earthquake.
2 an act of quaking.

Idiom

quaking-grass any grass of the genus Briza, having slender stalks and trembling in the wind: also called dodder-grass.

Derivative

quaky adj. (quakier, quakiest).

Etymology

OE cwacian

THESAURUS

Quake

apoplexy, be cold, bob, bobble, bounce, breakup, bump, cataclysm, chatter, chill, climax, convulsion, diastrophism, didder, disaster, dither, earthquake, falter, fidget, fit, flip out, fluctuate, flutter, freak out on, freeze, freeze to death, get high on, glow, go pitapat, grimace, grow cold, have a chill, have an ague, have goose pimples, have the fidgets, have the shakes, heave, horripilate, hustle, jactitate, jar, jerk, jig, jigget, jiggle, jog, joggle, jolt, jostle, jounce, jump, lose heat, overthrow, palpitate, pant, paroxysm, perish with cold, quaker, quaver, quiver, rictus, shake, shake all over, shiver, shock, shudder, spasm, squirm, stagger, stroke, swell, swell with emotion, temblor, thrill, thrill to, throb, tic, tidal wave, tingle, tingle with excitement, toss, toss and turn, tremble, trembler, tremblor, tremor, tsunami, tumble, turn on to, twist and turn, twitch, twitter, upheaval, vibrate, waver, wiggle, wobble, wriggle, writhe

ROGET THESAURUS

Quake

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

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.

Cold

VB be cold, shiver, starve, quake, shake, tremble, shudder, didder, quiver, freeze, freeze to death, perish with cold, freeze, horripilate, make the skin crawl, give one goose flesh.