quaver means A trembling shake. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 77 out of 100.
quaver is pronounced /ˈkweɪvə(ɹ)/.
Why “quaver” is a great word
A tremulous shake in sound or the briefest unit of musical time. From Middle English *quaveren*, a frequentative form of *quaven*, *cwavien* ('to tremble'), equivalent to *quave* + *-er*. Cognate with Low German *quabbeln* ('to quiver'). First attested as a musical term for an eighth note in the 1560s. Unlike 'quiver'—which suggests a physical shiver, like a leaf in wind—or 'trill'—a deliberate, rapid alternation of musical pitches—a quaver is the audible signature of unsteady emotion. It is the crack in a farewell at the platform's edge, the silver flicker of a piccolo's phrase, the visible pulse in a candle flame just before it gutters: sound made vulnerable by the breath that carries it.
Etymology
From Middle English quaveren, frequentative form of quaven, cwavien (“to tremble”), equivalent to quave + -er. Cognate with Low German quabbeln (“to quiver”), German quabbeln, quappeln (“to quiver”). More at quave, quab, quiver.
noun
- A trembling shake.
- A trembling of the voice, as in speaking or singing.
- an eighth note, drawn as a crotchet (quarter note) with a tail.“The crotchets and quavers are dancing up and down the stave like little black boys on a fence.”
verb
- To shake in a trembling manner.
- To use the voice in a trembling manner, as in speaking or singing.“"Aw come on, guys!" The woman, clearly overwhelmed by the force of the two friends' personalities, quavered on the point of tears.”
- To utter quaveringly.“We shall hear her quavering them […] to some sprightly airs of the opera.”