vibrate

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To move or shake quickly back and forth with small movements.

   The whole table vibrated when the heavy truck passed.

2. 2
   verb

   To cause something to shake with small rapid movements.

   The loud bass vibrated the windows.

The adjective (then also used as a participle) is first attested in 1420, in Middle English, the verb in 1620; partly from Middle English vibrat(e) (“reverberant”), partly directly borrowed from Latin vibrātus, perfect passive participle of vibrō (“to agitate, set in tremulous motion”) (see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3)), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyp- (“to oscillate, swing”) or *weyb-.

Topics