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.

Mr. Quaver did not look round, neither did Miss Gamut, nor any of the old choir.

From Winning His Way by Coffin, Charles Carleton

Mr. Quaver and the old members opposed it, but they were voted down.

From Winning His Way by Coffin, Charles Carleton

He took his place behind Mr. Quaver, with Hans, Azalia, and Daphne near him.

From Winning His Way by Coffin, Charles Carleton

Mr. Quaver, though confused for a moment, recovered; Miss Gamut also righted herself.

From Winning His Way by Coffin, Charles Carleton

Her Ladyship has the supreme delight of leading a scion of Royalty to a chair of state in her drawing-room, to hear Sir Raucisonous bleat and Miss Quaver trill.

From Modern Women and What is Said of Them A Reprint of A Series of Articles in the Saturday Review (1868) by Calhoun, Lucia Gilbert

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