shiver
Use Shiver in a sentence
ər verb (used without object)
1.
to shake or tremble with cold, fear, excitement, etc.
2.
Nautical.
a.
(of a fore-and-aft sail) to shake when too close to the wind.
b.
(of a sailing vessel) to be headed so close to the wind that the sails shake.
noun
3.
a tremulous motion; a tremble or quiver: The thought sent a shiver down her spine.
4.
shivers, an attack of shivering or chills (usually preceded by the ).
Origin:
1150–1200; Middle English chivere (noun); later sh-, apparently for the sake of alliteration in phrase chiver and shake
1150–1200; Middle English chivere (noun); later sh-, apparently for the sake of alliteration in phrase chiver and shake
Related forms
shiv·er·er, noun
shiv·er·ing·ly, adverb
Synonyms
1. Shiver, quake, shudder refer to a vibratory muscular movement, a trembling, usually involuntary. We shiver with cold, or a sensation such as that of cold: to shiver in thin clothing on a frosty day; to shiver with pleasant anticipation. We quake especially with fear: to quake with fright. We shudder with horror or abhorrence; the agitation is more powerful and deep-seated than shivering or trembling: to shudder at pictures of a concentration camp.
1. Shiver, quake, shudder refer to a vibratory muscular movement, a trembling, usually involuntary. We shiver with cold, or a sensation such as that of cold: to shiver in thin clothing on a frosty day; to shiver with pleasant anticipation. We quake especially with fear: to quake with fright. We shudder with horror or abhorrence; the agitation is more powerful and deep-seated than shivering or trembling: to shudder at pictures of a concentration camp.
00:10
Shiver
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is skedaddle. Does it mean:
| to steal or take dishonestly (money, esp. public funds, or property entrusted to one's care); embezzle. |
| to run away hurriedly; flee. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To shiver
Collins
World English Dictionary
shiver1 (ˈʃɪvə) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | to shake or tremble, as from cold or fear |
| 2. | a. (of a sail) to luff; flap or shake |
| b. (of a sailing vessel) to sail close enough to the wind to make the sails luff | |
| —n | |
| 3. | the act of shivering; a tremulous motion |
| 4. | the shivers an attack of shivering, esp through fear or illness |
| [C13 chiveren, perhaps variant of chevelen to chatter (used of teeth), from Old English ceafl | |
| 'shiverer1 | |
| —n | |
| 'shivering1 | |
| —adj | |
| shiver2 (ˈʃɪvə) | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | to break or cause to break into fragments |
| —n | |
| 2. | a splintered piece |
| [C13: of Germanic origin; compare Old High German scivaro, Middle Dutch scheveren to shiver, Old Norse skīfa to split] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
shiver
"shake," c.1400, alteration of chiveren (c.1200), of uncertain origin, perhaps from O.E. ceafl "jaw," on notion of chattering teeth. Spelling change of ch- to sh- is probably from influence of shake.
shiver
"small piece," c.1200, probably related to M.L.G. schever, schiver "splinter," from P.Gmc. *skif- "split" (cf. O.H.G. skivaro, Ger. Schiefer "splinter, slate"). The verb, "to break in or into pieces" is attested from c.1200. Chiefly in phrases to shivers and shiver me timbers (1835), "a mock oath attributed
in comic fiction to sailors" [OED]. My timbers! as a nautical oath is attested from 1789 (see timber). Also, shiver is still dial. for "splinter (n.)" in Norfolk and Lincolnshire.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
They shiver and tremble and act out to the awful imperatives of mental illness.
When it's my boss calling, it shudders in a sort of growing shiver from its headphone port down to its excretory chamber.
The logistics of hauling those toxins either through the air or across a battlefield made generals shiver.
He began to shiver uncontrollably as the heat of his body flowed into the water.
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