tremor

American  

[trem-er, tree-mer] / ˈtrɛm ər, ˈtri mər /

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 British  

/ 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 Scientific  

/ trĕm′ər /

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

• tremorless adjective
• tremorous adjective

Etymology

Origin of tremor

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

Example Sentences

Symptoms of bird flu in mammals include tremors, convulsions, seizures and muscle weakness.

From Los Angeles Times

Other than severe essential tremors that limit the use of his hands, he is in good health.

From MarketWatch

The political tremors triggered by the ballot measure already have reshaped California’s political landscape.

From Los Angeles Times

"We heard a bit of a thud and felt a tremor, and we saw a number of people moving quickly out of the shopping centre," he told the BBC.

From BBC

These tremors confirmed that the glacier had been firmly grounded on bedrock before lifting off.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• earthquake
• shiver
• upheaval
• vibration