tremor
Americannoun
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involuntary shaking of the body or limbs, as from disease, fear, weakness, or excitement; a fit of trembling.
-
any tremulous or vibratory movement; vibration.
tremors following an earthquake.
-
a trembling or quivering effect, as of light.
- Synonyms:
- oscillation
-
a quavering sound, as of the voice.
noun
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an involuntary shudder or vibration, as from illness, fear, shock, etc
-
any trembling or quivering movement
-
a vibrating or trembling effect, as of sound or light
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Also called: earth tremor. a minor earthquake
verb
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A relatively minor seismic shaking or vibrating movement. Tremors often precede larger earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.
-
An involuntary shaking or trembling of the head or extremities that can be idiopathic or associated with any of various medical conditions, such as Parkinson's disease.
Other Word Forms
- tremorless adjective
- tremorous adjective
Etymology
Origin of tremor
1325–75; Middle English < Latin: a trembling, equivalent to trem ( ere ) to tremble + -or -or 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"We heard a bit of a thud and felt a tremor, and we saw a number of people moving quickly out of the shopping centre," he told the BBC.
From BBC
These tremors confirmed that the glacier had been firmly grounded on bedrock before lifting off.
From Science Daily
Studying these deep tremors could provide new clues about the crust mantle boundary and the behavior of the upper mantle, which generates volcanic magma and helps drive tectonic plate motion.
From Science Daily
This breakdown leads to the hallmark symptoms of Parkinson's, including tremors, muscle stiffness, and slowed motion.
From Science Daily
He had developed a tremor in his hands and had trouble holding a camera still.
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.
