shiver1
- to shake or tremble with cold, fear, excitement, etc.
- Nautical.
- (of a fore-and-aft sail) to shake when too close to the wind.
- (of a sailing vessel) to be headed so close to the wind that the sails shake.
- a tremulous motion; a tremble or quiver: The thought sent a shiver down her spine.
- shivers, an attack of shivering or chills (usually preceded by the).
Origin of shiver1
Synonyms
See more synonyms for shiver on Thesaurus.comshiver2
- to break or split into fragments.
- a fragment; splinter.
Origin of shiver2
Examples from the Web for shiver
Contemporary Examples
You know, a novel comes not from a decision but a frisson, a sort of shiver that goes through you.
I remember being shocked that Shiver sold in 38 countries, because I thought it was such a particularly “me” story.
Maggie Stiefvater Talks New Novel ‘The Raven Boys,’ Fast Cars, and YA FictionDoug Stanton
September 28, 2012
For Americans of a certain age, these words, even in our cynical time, yield a shiver of nostalgia, but also of purpose.
There was one other peculiar moment that gave rise to a shiver of unwanted Somali memories.
Historical Examples
You shiver because your grandfathers and fathers and uncles have shivered there before you.
Tiverton TalesAlice Brown
He did not see Dick, but his very presence gave the lad a shiver.
The Rock of ChickamaugaJoseph A. Altsheler
I'm in a shiver about you, but—It's all true, Roger, what your mother said about 2nd Lieutenants.
Echoes of the WarJ. M. Barrie
Her gaze was fixed upon him; he saw her shiver, and knew that she saw and recognized him.
Salted With FireGeorge MacDonald
It snowed and stormed, and she was allowed to shiver on the platform.
Diary from November 12, 1862, to October 18, 1863Adam Gurowski
shiver1
- to shake or tremble, as from cold or fear
- (of a sail) to luff; flap or shake
- (of a sailing vessel) to sail close enough to the wind to make the sails luff
- the act of shivering; a tremulous motion
- the shivers an attack of shivering, esp through fear or illness
Word Origin
shiver2
- to break or cause to break into fragments
- a splintered piece
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for shiver
v.1
"shake," c.1400, alteration of chiveren (c.1200), of uncertain origin, perhaps from Old English ceafl "jaw," on notion of chattering teeth. Spelling change of ch- to sh- is probably from influence of shake. Related: Shivered; shivering.
n.1
"small piece, splinter, fragment, chip," c.1200, perhaps from an unrecorded Old English word, related to Middle Low German schever schiver "splinter," Old High German scivero, from Proto-Germanic *skif- "split" (cf. Old High German skivaro "splinter," German Schiefer "splinter, slate"), from PIE *skei- "to cut, split" (see shed (v.)). Commonly in phrases to break to shivers "break into bits" (mid-15c.). Also, shiver is still dialectal for "a splinter" in Norfolk and Lincolnshire.
v.2
"to break in or into many small pieces," c.1200, from the source of shiver (n.). Chiefly in phrase shiver me timbers (1835), "a mock oath attributed in comic fiction to sailors" [OED]. My timbers! as a nautical oath (probably euphemistic) is attested from 1789 (see timber (n.)). Related: Shivered; shivering.
n.2
"a tremulous, quivering motion," 1727, from shiver (v.1). The shivers in reference to fever chills is from 1861.