quake

plural quakes

1. A trembling or shaking.

   We felt a quake in the apartment every time the train went by.

2. An earthquake, a trembling of the ground with force.

   California is plagued by quakes; there are a few minor ones almost every month.

   2 more examples

   Well, everybody talks about the California quakes But the first time I ever felt the earth shake Was in Miami, when Amy touched me.

   1985, “Miami, My Amy”, in L.A. to Miami, performed by Keith Whitley

   His 1903 Merchants Exchange Building at California and Leidesdorff was one of the earliest big buildings of the pre-quake downtown building boom. After the quake, Polk went to work for “City Beautiful” proponent James Burnham, and redesigned more buildings than any other architect, including such dignified structures as the Mills Building, the Hobart Building and the de Young building.

   2021 March 19, Gary Kamiya, “One of San Francisco’s strangest buildings was a mash-up masterpiece”, in San Francisco Chronicle, archived from the original on 27 Apr 2026

3. figurativelySomething devastating, like a strong earthquake.

   But HS1 was more exposed to the COVID quake than most given its inherent reliance on international travel, which had collapsed, leaving cross-Channel operator Eurostar stacked with millions of debt.

   2024 January 24, Dyan Perry talks to Nick Brodrick, “The industry has given me so much”, in RAIL, number 1001, page 44

present singular third person quakes · participle present quaking · participle past quaked · past quaked · archaic participle past quoke · archaic past quoke · obsolete participle past quook · obsolete past quook

1. intransitiveTo tremble or shake.

   I felt the ground quaking beneath my feet.

   3 more examples

   Dorus threw Pamela behind a tree; where she stood quaking like the partridge on which the hawk is even ready to seize.

   The New Arcadia

   a. 1587, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the folio)”, in [Fulke Greville; Matthew Gwinne; John Florio], editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, →OCLC

   The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burnt at his presence.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Nahum 1:5

   The head of the Environmental Protection Agency quakes with mirth at his own punch line. Grimaldi chuckles through his teeth. “A killer, Tom, an absolute killer.”

   2004, David Mitchell, “Half-Lives: The First Luisa Rey Mystery”, in Cloud Atlas, →ISBN, page 130

2. figurativelyintransitiveTo be in a state of fear, shock, amazement, etc., such as might cause one to tremble.

   If Cupid have not spent all his quiver in / Venice, thou wilt quake for this shortly.

   1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]

   4 more examples

   Turning back, then, toward the basement staircase, she began to grope her way through blinding darkness, but had taken only a few uncertain steps when, of a sudden, she stopped short and for a little stood like a stricken thing, quite motionless save that she quaked to her very marrow in the grasp of a great and enervating fear.

   1914 November, Louis Joseph Vance, “An Outsider […]”, in Munsey’s Magazine, volume LIII, number II, New York, N.Y.: The Frank A[ndrew] Munsey Company, […], published 1915, →OCLC, chapter III (Accessory After the Fact), page 382, column 1

   Now could I drink hot blood / And do such bitter business as the bitter day / Would quake to look on.

   c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]

   Who honours not his father, Henry the fifth, that made all France to quake, Shake he his weapon at us, and pass by.

   1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene viii]

   Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and carefulness.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ezekiel 12:18

1. The 99th sura (chapter) of the Qur'an.