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
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"Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto
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"Of Mice and Men"
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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.
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
But believe him when he says he still has a bundle of protectionist arrows in his quiver.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 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
Her body began to spasm and quiver uncontrollably, until she required a cane and then a wheelchair.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
