Shake

/ʃeɪk/

Meaning & Definition

noun

a quick movement back and forth or up and down

With a firm shake, he finished his drink.

a brief period of trembling or quaking

There was a shake in his voice as he spoke.

an act of shaking hands as a greeting or agreement

They exchanged a shake at the start of the conference.

verb

to move or sway back and forth or up and down with quick movements

She shook the bottle to mix the ingredients.

to cause (something) to tremble or vibrate

The earthquake shook the entire building.

to grasp and move (something) quickly to and fro

He offered his hand for a shake after the meeting.

to remove or lose (something) by moving quickly

I tried to shake the feeling of anxiety before my speech.

Middle English: from Old English 'sceacan', of Germanic origin.

shake it off

to disregard or ignore something negative

shake hands

to greet someone with a handshake

shake a leg

to hurry up or move quickly

jolt

a sudden shock or movement

tremor

an involuntary quaking movement

wobble

to move unsteadily from side to side

to leave quickly

I gotta shake; my ride is here.

to party or dance energetically

We went out last night to shake it on the dance floor.