I. quake 1 /kweɪk/ BrE AmE verb [intransitive]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: cwacian ]
1 . to shake or tremble, usually because you are very frightened
quake with fear/fright/anger etc
Richmond was quaking with fury.
2 . quake in your boots informal to feel very afraid – used humorously
3 . if the earth, a building etc quakes, it shakes violently:
The explosion made the whole house quake.
II. quake 2 BrE AmE noun [countable]
an ↑ earthquake
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THESAURUS
▪ earthquake a sudden shaking of the earth’s surface:
The earthquake destroyed homes, telephone lines and roads.
▪ quake informal an earthquake – used especially in journalism:
More than 2000 people died when a quake hit the island of Flores.
▪ tremor a small movement in the earth’s surface in which the ground shakes slightly:
He was awoken by a series of tremors during the night.
▪ aftershock further movements in the earth’s surface that happen after a larger earthquake:
In the days after the earthquake, the area suffered a series of aftershocks.
▪ tsunami an ocean wave caused by an earthquake under the water:
There was no warning of the approaching tsunami.