quake Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun shaking and vibration at the surface of the earth resulting from underground movement along a fault plane of from volcanic activity
    seism; temblor; earthquake.
  2. verb shake with fast, tremulous movements
    palpitate; quiver.
    • His nostrils palpitated
  3. verb shake with seismic vibrations
    tremor.
    • The earth was quaking

WordNet

Quake intransitive verb
Etymology
AS. cwacian; cf. G. quackeln. Cf. Quagmire.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Quaked ; present participle & verbal noun Quaking
Definitions
  1. To be agitated with quick, short motions continually repeated; to shake with fear, cold, etc.; to shudder; to tremble.
    "Quaking for dread." Chaucer.
    She stood quaking like the partridge on which the hawk is ready to seize. Sir P. Sidney.
  2. 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. " Over quaking bogs." Macaulay.
Quake transitive verb
Etymology
Cf. AS. cweccan to move, shake. See Quake, v. t.
Definitions
  1. To cause to quake. Obs. Shak.
Quake noun
Definitions
  1. A tremulous agitation; a quick vibratory movement; a shudder; a quivering.

Webster 1913