First Known Use: 15th century
Dictionary
1quaver
verb qua·ver \ˈkwā-vər\
of your voice : to produce sound in an unsteady way especially because you are afraid or nervous
qua·veredqua·ver·ing \ˈkwā-və-riŋ, ˈkwāv-riŋ\
Full Definition of QUAVER
intransitive verb
1
: tremble
2
: trill
3
: to utter sound in tremulous tones
transitive verb
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Origin of QUAVER
Middle English, frequentative of quaven to tremble
2quaver
noun
: an unsteady sound in someone's voice that is caused by fear or other strong emotions
Full Definition of QUAVER
1
2
: trill 1
3
: a tremulous sound
See quaver defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of QUAVER
1570
QUAVERY Defined for Kids
1quaver
verb qua·ver \ˈkwā-vər\
qua·veredqua·ver·ing
Definition of QUAVER for Kids
: to sound in shaky or unsteady tones <My voice quavered nervously.>
2quaver
noun
Definition of QUAVER for Kids
: a sound that trembles or is unsteady <My voice was a little too loud and there was a distinct quaver in it … — Katherine Paterson, Jacob Have I Loved>
Headscratcher for QUAVER
Quaver and quiver look a lot alike, sound a lot alike, and in fact they both mean “to tremble.”
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