Synonyms

quaver

American

[kwey-ver] / ˈkweɪ vər /

verb (used without object)

to shake tremulously; quiver or tremble.

He stood there quavering with fear.
to sound, speak, or sing tremulously.

Her voice quavered a moment and then she regained control.
to perform trills in singing or on a musical instrument.

verb (used with object)

to utter, say, or sing with a quavering or tremulous voice.

noun

a quavering or tremulous shake, especially in the voice.
a quavering tone or utterance.
Music (chiefly British). an eighth note.

quaver British

/ ˈkweɪvə /

verb

to say or sing (something) with a trembling voice
(intr) (esp of the voice) to quiver, tremble, or shake
rare (intr) to sing or play quavers or ornamental trills

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

Usual US and Canadian name: eighth note. music a note having the time value of an eighth of a semibreve
a tremulous sound or note

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of quaver

1400–50; late Middle English quaveren (v.), blend of quake and waver ¹

Explanation

A quaver is a trembling or shaking sound, especially in a person's voice. When you give your first speech in front of a crowd, don't be surprised to hear a quaver in your voice. The nervous or emotional tremor in a person's speaking voice is one kind of quaver. It's also a primarily British term for an eighth note in music. To quaver can mean both to speak in a trembling voice, or to sing in a similar way, with a little warble or trill. The fifteenth century meaning of quaver is "to tremble or vibrate," and it's related to the earlier cwavien, "to shake," from the Low German word quabbeln, "tremble."

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Vocabulary lists containing quaver

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Punchinello finds for nose Quaver on his face.

From Enamels and Cameos and other Poems by Lee, Agnes

Mr. Quaver led, and the choir followed like sheep, all in their own way and fashion.

From Winning His Way by Coffin, Charles Carleton

Mr. Quaver and the old choir were early in their places.

From Winning His Way by Coffin, Charles Carleton

Quaver, kwā′vėr, v.i. to shake: to sing or play with tremulous modulations.—n. a trembling: a vibration of the voice: a note in music=half a crotchet or one-eighth of a semibreve.—n.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various

Mr. Quaver, a tall, slim man, with a long, red nose, had led the choir for many years.

From Winning His Way by Coffin, Charles Carleton

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023