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shake
[sheyk]
verb (used without object)
to move or sway with short, quick, irregular vibratory movements.
Synonyms: ,to tremble with emotion, cold, etc.
Synonyms: ,to become dislodged and fall (usually followed by off ordown ).
Sand shakes off easily.
to move something, or its support or container, briskly to and fro or up and down, as in mixing.
Shake before using.
to totter; become unsteady.
to clasp another's hand in greeting, agreement, congratulations, etc..
Let's shake and be friends again.
Music.to execute a trill.
verb (used with object)
to move (something or its support or container) to and fro or up and down with short, quick, forcible movements.
to shake a bottle of milk.
to brandish or flourish.
to shake a stick at someone.
to grasp (someone or something) firmly in an attempt to move or rouse by, or as by, vigorous movement to and fro.
We shook the tree.
to dislodge or dispense (something) by short, quick, forcible movements of its support or container.
We shook nuts from the tree.
to cause to sway, rock, totter, etc..
to shake the very foundations of society.
to agitate or disturb profoundly in feeling.
The experience shook him badly.
to cause to doubt or waver; weaken.
to shake one's self-esteem.
Synonyms:Music.to trill (a note).
to mix (dice) by rolling in the palm of the hand before they are cast.
to get rid of; elude.
They tried to shake their pursuers.
noun
an act or instance of shaking, rocking, swaying, etc.
tremulous motion.
a tremor.
Informal.(the) shakes. a state or spell of trembling, as caused by fear, fever, cold, etc..
I was up all night with a fever and the shakes.
a disturbing blow; shock.
Informal.milkshake.
the act or a manner of clasping another's hand in greeting, agreement, etc..
He has a strong shake.
Informal.chance or treatment; deal.
a fair shake;
a bum shake.
a cast of the dice.
He threw an eight on his last shake.
something resulting from shaking.
an earthquake.
a fissure in the earth.
an internal crack or fissure in timber.
Music.trill.
an instant.
I'll be with you in a shake.
Carpentry.a shingle or clapboard formed by splitting a short log into a number of tapered radial sections with a hatchet.
Horology.(in an escapement) the distance between the nearer corner of one pallet and the nearest tooth of the escape wheel when the other pallet arrests an escape tooth.
Chiefly South Midland U.S.shaker.
a dance deriving from the twist.
Slang.the dried leaves of the marijuana plant.
verb phrase
to cause to descend by shaking; bring down.
to cause to settle.
to condition; test.
to shake down a ship.
Informalto extort money from.
Slangto search (someone), especially to detect concealed weapons.
to shake in order to mix or loosen.
to upset; jar.
to agitate mentally or physically.
The threat of attack has shaken up the entire country.
to rid oneself of; reject.
to get away from; leave behind.
Baseball(of a pitcher) to indicate rejection of (a sign by the catcher for a certain pitch) by shaking the head or motioning with the glove.
shake
/ ʃɪ /
verb
to move or cause to move up and down or back and forth with short quick movements; vibrate
to sway or totter or cause to sway or totter
to clasp or grasp (the hand) of (a person) in greeting, agreement, etc
he shook John by the hand
he shook John's hand
they shook and were friends
to clasp hands in greeting, agreement, etc
informalto shake hands in agreement, reconciliation, etc
to bring or come to a specified condition by or as if by shaking
he shook free and ran
(tr) to wave or brandish
he shook his sword
to rouse, stir, or agitate
(tr) to shock, disturb, or upset
he was shaken by the news of her death
(tr) to undermine or weaken
the crisis shook his faith
to mix (dice) by rattling in a cup or the hand before throwing
archaic(tr) to steal
informal(tr) to escape from
can you shake that detective?
music to perform a trill on (a note)
informal(tr) to fare or progress; happen as specified
how's it shaking?
informalto hurry: usually used in the imperative
to tremble with fear or apprehension
to indicate disagreement or disapproval by moving the head from side to side
to depart gladly or with the intention not to return
noun
the act or an instance of shaking
a tremor or vibration
informala state of uncontrollable trembling or a condition that causes it, such as a fever
informala very short period of time; jiffy
in half a shake
a shingle or clapboard made from a short log by splitting it radially
a fissure or crack in timber or rock
an instance of shaking dice before casting
music another word for trill 1
a dance, popular in the 1960s, in which the body is shaken convulsively in time to the beat
an informal name for earthquake
short for milk shake
informalof no great merit or value; ordinary
Other Word Forms
- shakable adjective
- shakeable adjective
- reshake verb
- unshakable adjective
- unshakablely adverb
- unshakeable adjective
- unshakeablely adverb
- unshaken adjective
- well-shaken adjective
- ˈ첹 adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of shake1
Word History and Origins
Origin of shake1
Idioms and Phrases
shake hands. hand.
shake the dust from one's feet. dust.
two shakes (of a lamb's tail), a very short time; a moment.
shake one's head,
to indicate disapproval, disagreement, negation, or uncertainty by turning one's head from one side to the other and back.
I asked him if he knew the answer, but he just shook his head.
to indicate approval, agreement, affirmation or acceptance by nodding one's head up and down.
no great shakes, of no particular ability; unimportant; common.
As opera companies go, this one is no great shakes.
shake a leg,
to hurry up; get a move on.
You'd better shake a leg or we'll miss the first act.
to dance.
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
“It was the worst experience I ever felt,” Gavidia said, his voice shaking with anger as he spoke from the business Friday.
Her grandpa, a friendly old man who was paroled decades ago, reached out to greet me, his whole body shaking from Parkinson’s.
Guy Pepper's brilliant strength to shake off two tacklers and touch down in the corner almost stretched Bath's lead further only for the score to be scratched for a knock-on by Will Muir.
The Dodgers boast that more than 40% of their fan base is Latino, but they can’t even be bothered to offer the shaken community any words of comfort.
Australia's players, practically to a man, came to shake his hand and Markram departed to a standing ovation.
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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.
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