trepidatory

comparative more trepidatory · superlative most trepidatory

1. That trepidates, or that causes trepidations.

   Russell took his usual chair and the usual trepidatory sip, and was pleasantly surprised.

   2008, David Downing, Silesian Station

   2 more examples

   Unfortunately, like Guthrie he has never given a formal statement of his principles, and it is therefore up to the reader to ferret out these things for himself — always a trepidatory procedure.

   1953, Charles Egerton Osgood, Method and Theory in Experimental Psychology

   This was all very good news for the Church bishops because the shapeshifting werewolf had a limited trepidatory function, especially in places like England where wolves were generally unknown, although some existed then to the north in Scotland.

   2003, Laurence Gardner, Realm of the Ring Lords

2. Of an earthquake, having a vertical, up-and-down motion, as opposed to a horizontal, side-to-side motion.

   The most severe shock lasted for 70 seconds, and combined oscillatory, trepidatory, and rotatory movement.

   1882, Knowledge, volume 1

   2 more examples

   This [earthquake] was felt at Mexico at precisely the same hour, lasting there about one minute and a half, the motion there being undulatory, but at Acapulco trepidatory.

   1843, Captin Sir Edward Belcher RN, Narrative of a Voyage Round the World

   The particular trepidatory and oscillatory patterns arising from the lake bed especially afflicted high-rise buildings between six and fifteen stories.

   1995, Elena Poniatowska, Aurora Camacho de Schmidt, Arthur Schmidt, Nothing, Nobody: The Voices of the Mexico City Earthquake