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Webster 1913 Edition


Quaver

Qua′ver

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Quavered
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Quavering
.]
[OE.
quaven
to shake, to tremble; cf. LG.
quabbeln
to shake, to be soft, of fat substances,
quabbe
a fat lump of flesh, a dewlap, D.
kwabbe
, and E.
quiver
, v.]
1.
To tremble; to vibrate; to shake.
Sir I. Newton.
2.
Especially, to shake the voice; to utter or form sound with rapid or tremulous vibrations, as in singing; also, to trill on a musical instrument

Qua′ver

,
Verb.
T.
To utter with quavers.
We shall hear her
quavering
them . . . to some sprightly airs of the opera.
Addison.

Qua′ver

,
Noun.
1.
A shake, or rapid and tremulous vibration, of the voice, or of an instrument of music.
2.
(Mus.)
An eighth note. See
Eighth
.

Webster 1828 Edition


Quaver

QUA'VER

, v.i.
1.
To shake the voice; to utter or form sound with rapid vibrations, as in singing; to sing with tremulous modulations of voice.
2.
To tremble; to vibrate.
The finger - moved with a quavering motion.

QUA'VER

,
Noun.
1.
A shake or rapid vibration of the voice, or a shake on an instrument of music.
2.
A note and measure of time in music, equal to half a crotchet or the eighth of a semibreve.

Definition 2024


quaver

quaver

English

An eighth note with stem facing up, an eighth note with stem facing down, and a quaver rest.

Noun

quaver (plural quavers)

  1. a trembling shake.
  2. a trembling of the voice, as in speaking or singing.
  3. (music) an eighth note, drawn as a crotchet (quarter note) with a tail.

Related terms

Translations

See also

Verb

quaver (third-person singular simple present quavers, present participle quavering, simple past and past participle quavered)

  1. to shake in a trembling manner.
  2. (intransitive) to use the voice in a trembling manner, as in speaking or singing.
  3. (transitive) To utter quaveringly.
    • Addison
      We shall hear her quavering them [] to some sprightly airs of the opera.

Translations