I. ˈshivə(r) noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English scifre, shivere, shiver; akin to Middle Low German schēver, schiver fragment, splinter, Old High German scivaro fragment, splinter; akin to Old English scēadan to divide, separate — more at shed
1. : one of the fragments into which an object has been broken usually by violence
the boat was smashed to shivers on the rocks
2.
a. archaic : slice
b. : pulley
II. verb
( shivered ; shivered ; shivering -v(ə)riŋ ; shivers )
Etymology: Middle English shiveren, from scifre, shivere, shiver, n.
transitive verb
: to break into many small pieces : shatter
was shivering his lance against it in vain — A.W.Long
intransitive verb
: to fall apart into many small pieces
his statue fell and shivered on the stones — J.A.Froude
Synonyms: see break
III. verb
( shivered ; shivered ; shivering -v(ə)riŋ ; shivers )
Etymology: Middle English shiveren, alteration (influenced by shiveren to shatter) of chiveren
intransitive verb
: to undergo trembling (as from cold, fear, or the application of a physical force) : shake , quiver , vibrate
in spite of the heat of the room he shivered — Victor Canning
crystal chandeliers shivered when he sang — George Jellinek
specifically : to tremble in the wind as it strikes first one and then the other side — used of a sail
transitive verb
1. : to cause to shiver
another jerk shivered her body — Olive H. Prouty
specifically : to cause (a sail) to shiver by steering close to the wind
2. : to produce with or as if with a shiver
the sweet heaven-bird shivered out his song above him — George Meredith
IV. noun
( -s )
1. : an instance of shivering : tremble
a shiver ran down my spine — Helen Eustis
a momentary shiver of leaves drew our eyes to the left — William Beebe
2. shivers plural : an attack of shivering ; specifically : ague — usually used with preceding the