tremor

[trem-er, tree-mer]

noun

1. involuntary shaking of the body or limbs, as from disease, fear, weakness, or excitement; a fit of trembling.

   Synonyms: quiver, shiver, shudder

2. any tremulous or vibratory movement; vibration.

   tremors following an earthquake.

3. a trembling or quivering effect, as of light.

   Synonyms: oscillation

4. a quavering sound, as of the voice.

tremor

/ ˈtrɛmə /

noun

1. an involuntary shudder or vibration, as from illness, fear, shock, etc

2. any trembling or quivering movement

3. a vibrating or trembling effect, as of sound or light

4. Also called: earth tremor. a minor earthquake

verb

1. (intr) to tremble

tremor

1. A relatively minor seismic shaking or vibrating movement. Tremors often precede larger earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.

2. An involuntary shaking or trembling of the head or extremities that can be idiopathic or associated with any of various medical conditions, such as Parkinson's disease.

Other Word Forms

• tremorous adjective
• tremorless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tremor¹

1325–75; Middle English < Latin: a trembling, equivalent to trem ( ere ) to tremble + -or -or ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of tremor¹

C14: from Latin: a shaking, from tremere to tremble, quake

Example Sentences

One of her daughters brought her tea, but she said she struggled to hold the mug because her hands had developed a tremor since she was detained.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Because of its relatively shallow depth of 6.2 miles, the quake’s tremors set off multiple landslides, ripped open road surfaces and caused heavy damage to century-old churches and municipal and commercial buildings.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The latest tremor comes just over a week after a 6.9 magnitude quake hit Philippine's central Cebu province, killing 74 people and injuring hundreds.

Read more on BBC

He developed chronic headaches, began stuttering, suffered severe tremors and would regularly collapse in public and be helped home by strangers.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In Parkinson's disease, this protein sticks together into toxic clumps that cause nerve cell death and leads to patients suffering from symptoms such as tremors, difficulties moving and muscle stiffness.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• earthquake 
• shiver 
• upheaval 
• vibration