quaver
quaver Lexical Profile
quaver Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A shake or tremble in a person's voice, often caused by strong emotion, nervousness, or age.
"There was a slight quaver in her voice as she stood before the microphone to deliver the eulogy."
British A musical note having the time value of one-eighth of a whole note (semibreve) or half of a quarter note (crotchet), represented by a filled-in oval with a stem and a single tail.
"The melody moves briskly through a series of dotted quavers before resolving on the final chord."
• verb
To shake or tremble in speaking or singing, typically through nervousness, fear, or strong emotion (of a person's voice).
"His voice began to quaver as he recounted the emotional details of the rescue."
To say or sing something with a trembling or shaking voice.
"The elderly witness quavered a brief reply before asking for a glass of water."
• Rhymes for quaver
Word Origin & Etymology
Originating in the 15th century, the word is a frequentative form of the Middle English verb 'quaven' (meaning to tremble or shake), which is related to Low German 'quabbeln' and possibly of imitative origin.