Library / English Dictionary

QUAKE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Synonyms:

earthquake; quake; seism; temblor

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("quake" is a kind of...):

geological phenomenon (a natural phenomenon involving the structure or composition of the earth)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "quake"):

seismic disturbance; shock (an instance of agitation of the earth's crust)

earth tremor; microseism; tremor (a small earthquake)

seaquake; submarine earthquake (an earthquake at the sea bed)

Derivation:

quake (shake with seismic vibrations)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Shake with seismic vibrations

Example:

The earth was quaking

Synonyms:

quake; tremor

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "quake" is one way to...):

agitate; shake (move or cause to move back and forth)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

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

Sense 2

Meaning:

Shake with fast, tremulous movements

Example:

His nostrils palpitated

Synonyms:

palpitate; quake; quiver

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "quake" is one way to...):

tremble (move or jerk quickly and involuntarily up and down or sideways)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Derivation:

quaker (one who quakes and trembles with (or as with) fear)

Credits

 Context examples: 

The wondrous shock of feeling had come like the earthquake which shook the foundations of Paul and Silas's prison; it had opened the doors of the soul's cell and loosed its bands—it had wakened it out of its sleep, whence it sprang trembling, listening, aghast; then vibrated thrice a cry on my startled ear, and in my quaking heart and through my spirit, which neither feared nor shook, but exulted as if in joy over the success of one effort it had been privileged to make, independent of the cumbrous body.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

There was something so imperative and masterful about him that I was quite beside myself—“rattled,” as Furuseth would have termed it, like a quaking child before a stern school-master.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

It was followed by another earthquake an hour later; the second quake had a magnitude of 4.0 and was recorded in Sultan Kudarat.

(Aftershocks increase death toll of magnitude 6.3 earthquake in southern Philippines, Wikinews)

Jo was determined to have it out now, and tried to look quite placid, though she quaked a little after her bold speech.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Their technique, which they had previously tested with fiber-optic cables on land, could provide much-needed data on quakes that occur under the sea surface, where few seismic stations exist.

(Underwater telecom cables make superb seismic network, National Science Foundation)

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported the first quake occurred at 7:37 p.m. local time (1137 UTC) on Wednesday.

(Aftershocks increase death toll of magnitude 6.3 earthquake in southern Philippines, Wikinews)

On Saturday, reports said Wednesday's quake affected the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Region 11 and Region 12.

(Aftershocks increase death toll of magnitude 6.3 earthquake in southern Philippines, Wikinews)

Reportedly, at least two towns — including Makilala in the province of North Cotabato — declared a state of calamity following Wednesday's quake.

(Aftershocks increase death toll of magnitude 6.3 earthquake in southern Philippines, Wikinews)