vi ‧ brate /vaɪˈbreɪt $ ˈvaɪbreɪt/ BrE AmE verb [intransitive and transitive]
[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: past participle of vibrare 'to shake' ]
if something vibrates, or if you vibrate it, it shakes quickly and continuously with very small movements:
The floor was vibrating to the beat of the music.
As air passes over our vocal cords, it makes them vibrate.
• • •
THESAURUS
■ object/vehicle/the ground etc
▪ shake to move suddenly from side to side or up and down, usually with a lot of force:
The floor shook from a distant explosion.
|
The walls were still shaking.
|
The trees were shaking in the wind.
▪ rattle to shake and make a noise:
The windows rattled in the wind.
|
The train was rattling over the bridge.
▪ vibrate to shake continuously with small fast movements:
The music was so loud that the whole room vibrated.
|
The atoms vibrate at different frequencies.
▪ wobble to move unsteadily from side to side:
The bike began to wobble alarmingly as she fought to control it.
|
The cup wobbled and he grabbed it to stop it from falling.
▪ rock to move gently backwards and forwards or from side to side:
The trailer rocked in the wind.
|
The boat was rocking from side to side with the waves.
▪ shudder ( also judder especially British English ) if a vehicle or machine shudders, it shakes for a short time.:
The lift shuddered then began to descend.
|
The engine shuddered into life (=it shook and then started working) .
|
The car juddered to a halt (=it shook and then stopped) outside the house.