quake

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   shaking and vibration at the surface of the earth resulting from underground movement along a fault plane of from volcanic activity

   The quake took down several houses in the neighborhood.

2. 2
   verb

   to shake with seismic vibrations

   The ground quaked.

3. 3
   verb

   to shake with fast, tremulous movements

   The fearful youth quaked before the bully.

4. 4
   noun

   A trembling or shaking.

   We felt a quake in the apartment every time the train went by.

5. 5
   noun

   An earthquake, a trembling of the ground with force.

   California is plagued by quakes; there are a few minor ones almost every month.

6. 6
   noun

   Something devastating, like a strong earthquake.

   But HS1 was more exposed to the COVID quake than most given its inherent reliance on international travel, which had collapsed, leaving cross-Channel operator Eurostar stacked with millions of debt.

7. 7
   verb

   To tremble or shake.

   I felt the ground quaking beneath my feet.

8. 8
   verb

   To be in a state of fear, shock, amazement, etc., such as might cause one to tremble.

   Turning back, then, toward the basement staircase, she began to grope her way through blinding darkness, but had taken only a few uncertain steps when, of a sudden, she stopped short and for a little stood like a stricken thing, quite motionless save that she quaked to her very marrow in the grasp of a great and enervating fear.

Etymology

From Middle English quaken, from Old English cwacian (“to quake, tremble, chatter”), from Proto-Germanic *kwakōną (“to shake, quiver, tremble”), itself likely of imitative origin. Related to Old English cweċċan (“to shake, swing, move, vibrate, shake off, give up”) (see quitch), Dutch kwakkelen (“to ail, be ailing”), German Quackelei (“chattering”), Danish kvakle (“to bungle”), Latin vexō (“toss, shake violently, jostle, vex”), Irish bogadh (“a move, movement, shift, change”).