vibrate
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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Etymology
From Latin vibrātus, perfect passive participle of vibrō (“agitate, set in tremulous motion”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyp- (“to oscillate, swing”) or *weyb-.
Pronunciation
Verb
vibrate (third-person singular simple present vibrates, present participle vibrating, simple past and past participle vibrated)
- (intransitive) To shake with small, rapid movements to and fro.
- 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “The Coronation”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 5:
- When "God save the King!" resounded through the stately abbey, the banners vibrating with the mighty music, I felt quite enthusiastic in my loyalty.
- 1951 October, R. S. McNaught, “Lines of Approach”, in Railway Magazine, page 706:
- The tender roared along vibrating vigorously; braking had resulted in "flats" on most of its tyres.
- (intransitive) To resonate.
- Her mind was vibrating with excitement.
- (transitive) To brandish; to swing to and fro.
- to vibrate a sword or a staff
- (transitive) To mark or measure by moving to and fro.
- a pendulum vibrating seconds
- (transitive) To affect with vibratory motion; to set in vibration.
- 1669, William Holder, Elements of Speech: An Essay of Inquiry into the Natural Production of Letters: […], London: […] T. N[ewcomb] for J[ohn] Martyn printer to the R[oyal] Society, […], →OCLC:
- Breath vocalized, i.e., vibrated or undulated, may […] impress a swift, tremulous motion.
- 1864, Alfred Tennyson, “Aylmer’s Field”, in Enoch Arden, &c., London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], →OCLC, page 81:
- Star to star vibrates light: may soul to soul / Strike thro' a finer element of her own?
- (transitive, slang, dated) To please or impress someone.
- 1949, Ladies' Home Journal, volume 66, page 115:
- And if he wants to give you high praise, he'll answer, "That vibrates me"; "That has a large charge"; or "That's oogley."
- 1961, Congressional Record:
- […] standing side by side under a Grecian column, tapping their feet in unison and saying such things as "Hot-diggety,” “Razz-ma-tazz," “That vibrates me," and other expressions of praise current in their youth.
- (intransitive, music) To use vibrato.
- (transitive, slang) To pleasure someone using a vibrator.
- 1999 March 27, PeterW, “Jack with Jill”, in alt.jokes.limericks (Usenet):
- Downstairs in the living-room Jill
Was vibrating herself for a thrill.
Related terms
Translations
to move with small movements rapidly
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to resonate
to brandish; to swing to and fro
to mark or measure by moving to and fro
Noun
vibrate (uncountable)
- The setting, on a portable electronic device, that causes it to vibrate rather than sound any (or most) needed alarms.
- Synonym: vibrate mode
- Please put your cellphones on vibrate for the duration of the meeting.
Translations
setting
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Further reading
- “vibrate”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “vibrate”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
Anagrams
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Etymology 1
Verb
vibrate
- inflection of vibrare:
Etymology 2
Participle
vibrate f pl
Anagrams
Verb
vibrāte
Verb
vibrate
- second-person singular voseo imperative of vibrar combined with te
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