shiver Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun a reflex motion caused by cold or fear or excitement
tremble; shake.
noun an almost pleasurable sensation of fright
frisson; quiver; thrill; shudder; tingle; chill.
- a frisson of surprise shot through him
verb tremble convulsively, as from fear or excitement
shudder; throb; thrill.
verb shake, as from cold
shudder.
- The children are shivering--turn on the heat!

OE. schivere, fr. shive; cf. G. schifer a splinter, slate, OHG. scivere a splinter, Dan. & Sw. skifer a slate. See Shive, and cf. Skever.

One of the small pieces, or splinters, into which a brittle thing is broken by sudden violence; -- generally used in the plural. "All to shivers dashed." Milton.
A thin slice; a shive. Obs. or Prov. Eng. "A shiver of their own loaf." Fuller.
Of your soft bread, not but a shiver. Chaucer.
(Geol.) A variety of blue slate.
(Naut.) A sheave or small wheel in a pulley.
A small wedge, as for fastening the bolt of a window shutter.
A spindle. Obs. or Prov. Eng.

OE. schiveren, scheveren; cf. OD. scheveren. See Shiver a fragment.

imperfect & past participle Shivered ; present participle & verbal noun Shivering

To break into many small pieces, or splinters; to shatter; to dash to pieces by a blow; as, to shiver a glass goblet.
All the ground With shivered armor strown. Milton.

To separate suddenly into many small pieces or parts; to be shattered.
There shiver shafts upon shields thick. Chaucer

The natural world, should gravity once cease, . . . would instantly shiver into millions of atoms. Woodward.

OE. chiveren, cheveren; of uncertain origin. This word seems to have been confused with shiver to shatter.

To tremble; to vibrate; to quiver; to shake, as from cold or fear.
Prometheus is laid On icy Caucasus to shiver. Swift.

The man that shivered on the brink of sin, Thus steeled and hardened, ventures boldly in. Creech.