What does "quaver" mean?
Quaver: Especially, to shake the voice; to utter or form sound with rapid or tremulous vibrations, as in singing; also, to trill on a musical instrument
Additional senses
- 2.To utter with quavers. We shall hear her quavering them . . . to some sprightly airs of the opera. Addison.
- 3.A shake, or rapid and tremulous vibration, of the voice, or of an instrument of music.
- 4.(Mus.) An eighth note. See Eighth.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00