shake

[ sheyk ]

verb (used without object)

, shook, shak·en, shak·ing.

1. to move or sway with short, quick, irregular vibratory movements.

   Synonyms: waver, oscillate

2. to tremble with emotion, cold, etc.

   Synonyms: shiver, shudder

3. to become dislodged and fall (usually followed by off or down ):

   Sand shakes off easily.

4. to move something, or its support or container, briskly to and fro or up and down, as in mixing:

   Shake before using.

5. to totter; become unsteady.
6. to clasp another's hand in greeting, agreement, congratulations, etc.:

   Let's shake and be friends again.

7. Music. to execute a trill.

verb (used with object)

, shook, shak·en, shak·ing.

1. to move (something or its support or container) to and fro or up and down with short, quick, forcible movements:

   to shake a bottle of milk.

2. to brandish or flourish:

   to shake a stick at someone.

3. to grasp (someone or something) firmly in an attempt to move or rouse by, or as by, vigorous movement to and fro:

   We shook the tree.

4. to dislodge or dispense (something) by short, quick, forcible movements of its support or container:

   We shook nuts from the tree.

5. to cause to sway, rock, totter, etc.:

   to shake the very foundations of society.

6. to agitate or disturb profoundly in feeling:

   The experience shook him badly.

7. to cause to doubt or waver; weaken:

   to shake one's self-esteem.

   Synonyms: daunt

8. Music. to trill (a note).
9. to mix (dice) by rolling in the palm of the hand before they are cast.
10. to get rid of; elude:

    They tried to shake their pursuers.

noun

1. an act or instance of shaking, rocking, swaying, etc.
2. tremulous motion.
3. a tremor.
4. (the) shakes. Informal. (used with a singular verb) a state or spell of trembling, as caused by fear, fever, cold, etc.:

   I was up all night with a fever and the shakes.

5. a disturbing blow; shock.
6. Informal. milkshake.
7. the act or a manner of clasping another's hand in greeting, agreement, etc.:

   He has a strong shake.

8. Informal. chance or treatment; deal: fair shake.

   a fair shake;

   a bum shake.

9. a cast of the dice:

   He threw an eight on his last shake.

10. something resulting from shaking.
11. an earthquake.
12. a fissure in the earth.
13. an internal crack or fissure in timber.
14. Music. trill ¹( def 9 ).
15. an instant:

    I'll be with you in a shake.

16. Carpentry. a shingle or clapboard formed by splitting a short log into a number of tapered radial sections with a hatchet.
17. Horology. (in an escapement) the distance between the nearer corner of one pallet and the nearest tooth of the escape wheel when the other pallet arrests an escape tooth.
18. Chiefly South Midland U.S. shaker ( def 2 ).
19. a dance deriving from the twist.
20. Slang. the dried leaves of the marijuana plant.

verb phrase

1. 1. to rid oneself of; reject.
   2. to get away from; leave behind.
   3. Baseball, Softball. (of a pitcher) to indicate rejection of (a sign by the catcher for a certain pitch) by shaking the head or motioning with the glove.
2. 1. to cause to descend by shaking; bring down.
   2. to cause to settle.
   3. to condition; test:

      to shake down a ship.

   4. Informal. to extort money from.
   5. Slang. to search (someone), especially to detect concealed weapons.
3. 1. to shake in order to mix or loosen.
   2. to upset; jar.
   3. to agitate mentally or physically:

      The threat of attack has shaken up the entire country.

shake

/ ʃeɪk /

verb

1. to move or cause to move up and down or back and forth with short quick movements; vibrate
2. to sway or totter or cause to sway or totter
3. to clasp or grasp (the hand) of (a person) in greeting, agreement, etc

   he shook John's hand

   he shook John by the hand

   they shook and were friends

4. shake hands
   shake hands to clasp hands in greeting, agreement, etc
5. shake on it informal.
   shake on it to shake hands in agreement, reconciliation, etc
6. to bring or come to a specified condition by or as if by shaking

   he shook free and ran

7. tr to wave or brandish

   he shook his sword

8. troften foll byup to rouse, stir, or agitate
9. tr to shock, disturb, or upset

   he was shaken by the news of her death

10. tr to undermine or weaken

    the crisis shook his faith

11. to mix (dice) by rattling in a cup or the hand before throwing
12. archaic.
    tr to steal
13. informal.
    tr to escape from

    can you shake that detective?

14. music to perform a trill on (a note)
15. informal.
    tr to fare or progress; happen as specified

    how's it shaking?

16. shake a leg informal.
    shake a leg to hurry: usually used in the imperative
17. shake in one's shoes
    shake in one's shoes to tremble with fear or apprehension
18. shake one's head
    shake one's head to indicate disagreement or disapproval by moving the head from side to side
19. shake the dust from one's feet
    shake the dust from one's feet to depart gladly or with the intention not to return

noun

1. the act or an instance of shaking
2. a tremor or vibration
3. the shakes informal.
   the shakes a state of uncontrollable trembling or a condition that causes it, such as a fever
4. informal.
   a very short period of time; jiffy

   in half a shake

5. a shingle or clapboard made from a short log by splitting it radially
6. a fissure or crack in timber or rock
7. an instance of shaking dice before casting
8. See trill
   music another word for trill 1
9. a dance, popular in the 1960s, in which the body is shaken convulsively in time to the beat
10. See earthquake
    an informal name for earthquake
11. See milk shake
    short for milk shake
12. no great shakes informal.
    no great shakes of no great merit or value; ordinary

Derived Forms

• ˈshakable, adjective

Other Words From

• shaka·ble shakea·ble adjective
• re·shake verb reshook reshaken reshaking
• un·shaka·ble adjective
• un·shaka·ble·ly adverb
• un·shakea·ble adjective
• un·shakea·ble·ly adverb
• un·shaken adjective
• well-shaken adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of shake¹

First recorded before before 900; Middle English (verb) s(c)haken, Old English sceacan; cognate with Low German schacken, Old Norse skaka; the noun is derived from the verb

Word History and Origins

Origin of shake¹

Old English sceacan; related to Old Norse skaka to shake, Old High German untscachōn to be driven

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. no great shakes, Informal. of no particular ability; unimportant; common:

   As opera companies go, this one is no great shakes.

2. shake a leg, Informal.
   1. to hurry up; get a move on:

      You'd better shake a leg or we'll miss the first act.

   2. to dance.
3. shake one's head,
   1. to indicate disapproval, disagreement, negation, or uncertainty by turning one's head from one side to the other and back:

      I asked him if he knew the answer, but he just shook his head.

   2. to indicate approval, agreement, affirmation or acceptance by nodding one's head up and down.
4. two shakes (of a lamb's tail), a very short time; a moment.
5. shake hands. hand ( def 80 ).
6. shake the dust from one's feet. dust ( def 26 ).

More idioms and phrases containing shake

• all shook (shaken) up
• fair shake
• in two shakes
• more than one can shake a stick at
• movers and shakers
• no great shakes
• quake (shake) in one's boots

Synonym Study

Shake, quiver, tremble, vibrate refer to an agitated movement that, in living things, is often involuntary. To shake is to agitate more or less quickly, abruptly, and often unevenly so as to disturb the poise, stability, or equilibrium of a person or thing: a pole shaking under his weight. To quiver is to exhibit a slight vibratory motion such as that resulting from disturbed or irregular (surface) tension: The surface of the pool quivered in the breeze. To tremble (used more often of a person) is to be agitated by intermittent, involuntary movements of the muscles, much like shivering and caused by fear, cold, weakness, great emotion, etc.: Even stout hearts tremble with dismay. To vibrate is to exhibit a rapid, rhythmical motion: A violin string vibrates when a bow is drawn across it.

Example Sentences

That sensor now sits in an image stabilization system that promises up to 6 stops of shake reduction.

From Popular-Science

If you use Sony’s video-specific apps, however, the camera can also record movement data from its onboard sensors while you’re shooting and use that information during the editing process to apply natural shake reduction tech.

From Popular-Science

Once you get beyond 10x zoom, you’re relying on software and AI to combat things like digital artifacts and camera shake.

From Popular-Science

Think about a powder that you can mix with water or include with your regular meals instead of filling single shakes.

From Popular-Science

Take a look at available protein shakes, or make your own by including vegetables and healthy fats.

From Popular-Science

Even internally in the House, women are not getting their fair shake.

From The Daily Beast

He would shake a chilled Coke, and then spray the soda into a cold glass of milk.

From The Daily Beast

Shake off any excess flour and gently place in the heated oil.

From The Daily Beast

We shake hands and he immediately begins a monologue about prison breaks and South America.

From The Daily Beast

I could not breathe.... When I would pass out, they would shake me and begin again.

From The Daily Beast

The women at once rose and began to shake out their draperies and relax their muscles.

From Project Gutenberg

I would not trust their removal to any other hand, and so, the panel comes out without a shake.

From Project Gutenberg

The only thing that at all tended to shake this conviction, was the extraordinary poltroonery of our new captive.

From Project Gutenberg

At the station the head porter received their inquiry for a Bradshaw with a dull stare and a shake of the head.

From Project Gutenberg

Aristide picked it up and began to dance and shake his fist at the invisible police.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• disturb
• frighten
• horrify
• intimidate
• rattle
• throw
• undermine
• unnerve
• unsettle
• upset
• weaken
• worry