aquiver en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /əˈkwɪvɚ/ (General-American)
- /əˈkwɪvə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Hellenic *ə- Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-)der. English a- English quiver English aquiver From a- + quiver.
Meanings
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(not-comparable) In a state of excitement, trepidation or agitation; quivering.
Almost the whole continental rim of the Pacific basin is aquiver with earthquakes and fiery with volcanoes, some frequently active, some extinct, some merely sleeping a centuries-long sleep between periods of explosive violence.
1961, Rachel Carson, The Sea Around Us, revised edition, New York: Oxford University Press, Part 1, p. 66:He said "Stand and deliver / For I am all aquiver."
1926, R.P. Weston, Bert Lee, What I Want is a Proper Cup of Coffee:Sighing softly to the river Comes the lonely breeze, Setting Nature all a-quiver, Rustling through the trees,
1879, W[illiam] S[chwenck] Gilbert, Arthur Sullivan, composer, H.M.S. Pinafore; […], San Francisco: Bacon & Company, […], →OCLC, page 35:He had gone inland about half a mile when there came suddenly to his trained nostrils the one scent that sets the whole savage jungle aquiver—Tarzan smelled man.
1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York: Ballantine Books, published 1963, page 190:There is no colour line in love, and though a-quiver with ungovernable fright, for Ursula's sake black Woona went graphically through the final death contortions of the poisoned mangy pup.
1907, Barbara Baynton, edited by Sally Krimmer and Alan Lawson, Human Toll (Portable Australian Authors: Barbara Baynton), St Lucia: University of Queensland Press, published 1980, page 279: