quiver
1 Americanverb (used with or without object)
noun
noun
-
a case for holding or carrying arrows.
-
the arrows in such a case.
verb
noun
noun
Synonym Usage
See shake.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
quiversimple
-
quiverssimple
-
have quiveredperfect
-
has quiveredperfect
-
am quiveringprogressive
-
are quiveringprogressive
-
is quiveringprogressive
-
have been quiveringperfect progressive
-
has been quiveringperfect progressive
Past
-
quiveredsimple
-
had quiveredperfect
-
was quiveringprogressive
-
were quiveringprogressive
-
had been quiveringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of quiver1
First recorded in 1480–90; origin uncertain; compare Middle Dutch quiveren “to tremble”
Origin of quiver2
1250–1300; Middle English < Anglo-French quiveir, variant of Old French quivre; perhaps < Germanic; compare Old English cocer quiver
Explanation
Scaredy cats around the globe know that quivering is a trembling, shaking motion. A cold gust of wind might make you quiver, as would an icy glare from the abominable snowman. The verb to quiver means to shudder, wobble, or vibrate, often from fear. But the noun quiver? It's actually the carrying case for your arrows, just the kind of thing Robin Hood would have strapped to his back. So imagine one of his arrows sailing through the air, hitting a tree with a hearty whack!, and then quivering there for a few seconds.
Vocabulary lists containing quiver
Unit 1: Telling Details
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Of Mice and Men"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
As Pierce sees it, a 10% cap is “one of the few arrows left in the quiver for the White House really struggling to address the affordability crisis.”
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 19, 2026
What is it about a title like “Neighbors” that sends a little quiver up one’s spine?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2026
The Cidara acquisition adds another medicine to the Merck quiver.
From Barron's ● Nov. 14, 2025
But, when it has mattered, Littler plucked precision from the quiver.
From BBC ● Jan. 3, 2025
“I’ve never had a little girl,” Anastasia says, her bottom lip starting to quiver.
From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper
His lower lip quivers; there’s an expression on his face that my husband and I used to call “sad baby.”
From Slate ● May 10, 2026
With calculations based on linear algebra, the research team demonstrated that -- analogous to radioactivity in atomic nuclei -- a magnetic quiver can decay into a more stable state or fission into two separate quivers.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 3, 2024
Mr McKeown, who is 37, was taken to Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, where they discovered he had suffered a ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest, which is when the heart quivers instead of pumping normally.
From BBC ● Dec. 23, 2023
She played a new single, “Alone,” that had some jazzy, jagged percussion and Björk-worthy vocal quivers, showing she’s getting only more ambitious with time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2023
Her chin quivers and her eyes have a wild look to them.
From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse
His lips quivered as he held back tears.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Time itself quivered with the sound, that terrible, haunting chirping, adversely impacting our mental health forever.
From Salon ● Feb. 9, 2024
Jeremy Allen White, who catapulted to fame with “The Bear,” quivered when he mentioned his beloved, late manager Chris Huvane, continuing to say “thank you” as he walked off stage in a daze.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 11, 2023
Her hands quivered and seemed to want to flap-paddle the air.
From New York Times ● May 17, 2022
Malcolm had never found it so difficult to move; every muscle quivered.
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
Big eyes quivering, he is so excited to share a new update.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
"Cathy and Heathcliff's passions vibrate through their dress, their surroundings, and everything else within reach, and you leave the cinema quivering on their own private frequency."
From BBC ● Feb. 10, 2026
And she watched me, my chin was quivering and and she was like, “All right, I guess we’re going to Spokane.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 8, 2026
Hegseth’s brief tenure at the Pentagon has been dominated by his quivering inability to deal with any kind of challenge or discomfort.
From Salon ● Dec. 3, 2025
My mom’s face looks like it’s a quivering mask that’s trying to stop her from crying.
From "King and the Dragonflies" by Kacen Callender
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
