quaver

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   in British musical terminology, a note with half the time value of a crotchet; an eighth note

   The melody opens with four quick quavers followed by a sustained note.

2. 2
   noun

   a slight tremble or wavering in a person's voice

   A nervous quaver entered his voice when the questions became more pointed.

3. 3
   verb

   to speak, sing, or sound with an unsteady, trembling voice

   Her voice quavered as she read the final lines of the letter.

From Middle English quaveren ('to tremble'), a frequentative form of quaven ('to shake or tremble'). The musical noun developed from the idea of a tremulous sound; in modern British notation it names what American English calls an eighth note.

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images