- shake
- [[t]ʃe͟ɪk[/t]]
♦♦1) VERB If you shake something, you hold it and move it quickly backwards and forwards or up and down. You can also shake a person, for example, because you are angry with them or because you want them to wake up.
[V n] The nurse took the thermometer, shook it, and put it under my armpit...
[V n] Shake the rugs well and hang them for a few hours before replacing on the floor...
[V n] I've even seen her shake Zara when she's been naughty.
N-COUNT: usu singShake is also a noun.She picked up the bag of salad and gave it a shake.
2) VERB If you shake yourself or your body, you make a lot of quick, small, repeated movements without moving from the place where you are.[V pron-refl] As soon as he got inside, the dog shook himself...
[V n] Shake your right hand downwards until you feel your fingers getting hot with blood.
N-COUNTShake is also a noun.Take some slow, deep breaths and give your body a bit of a shake.
3) VERB If you shake your head, you turn it from side to side in order to say `no' or to show disbelief or sadness.[V n] `Anything else?' Colum asked. Kathryn shook her head wearily...
[V n] We were amazed, shocked, dumbfounded, shaking our heads in disbelief.
N-COUNTShake is also a noun.`The elm trees are all dying,' said Palmer, with a sad shake of his head.
4) VERB If you are shaking, or a part of your body is shaking, you are making quick, small movements that you cannot control, for example because you are cold or afraid.He roared with laughter, shaking in his chair...
My hand shook so much that I could hardly hold the microphone...
[V with n] I stood there, crying and shaking with fear.
5) N-PLURAL: the N If you have the shakes, your body is shaking a lot because you are afraid or ill, or because you have drunk too much alcohol. [INFORMAL]Another man constantly chain-smoked and seemed to have the shakes.
6) VERB If you shake your fist or an object such as a stick at someone, you wave it in the air in front of them because you are angry with them.[V n at n] The colonel rushed up to Earle, and shaking his gun at him exclaimed in a voice quivering with passion: `Curse you!'...
[V n] The protesters burst through police lines into the cathedral square, shaking clenched fists.
7) V-ERG If a force shakes something, or if something shakes, it moves from side to side or up and down with quick, small, but sometimes violent movements.[V n] ...an explosion that shook buildings several kilometers away...
[V n] The hiccups may shake your baby's body from head to foot...
The breeze grew in strength, the flags shook, plastic bunting creaked.
8) VERB To shake something into a certain place or state means to bring it into that place or state by moving it quickly up and down or from side to side.[V n prep] Small insects can be collected from nettle beds by shaking them into an upturned umbrella and tipping the contents into a jam jar...
[V n prep] She frees her mass of hair from a rubber band and shakes it off her shoulders...
[V n with adv] Shake off any excess flour before putting livers in the pan...
[V n adj] The prop shaft vibrated like mad and shook the exhaust mounting loose.
9) VERB If your voice is shaking, you cannot control it properly and it sounds very unsteady, for example because you are nervous or angry.[V with n] His voice shaking with rage, he asked how the committee could keep such a report from the public. [Also V]
10) VERB If an event or a piece of news shakes you, or shakes your confidence, it makes you feel upset and unable to think calmly.[V n] There was no doubt that the news of Tandy's escape had shaken them all...
[V n] She was close to both of her parents and was undeniably shaken by their divorce...
[V n] Your optimism has been badly shaken over the past months.
Derived words:shaken ADJ-GRADED usu v-link ADJUnhurt, but a bit shaken, she was trying not to cry.
11) VERB If an event shakes a group of people or their beliefs, it causes great uncertainty and makes them question their beliefs.[V n] It won't shake the football world if we beat Torquay...
[V n] When events happen that shake these beliefs, our fear takes control...
[V-ed] The reforms announced by the health minister aim to win back confidence in a system shaken by a major scandal.
12) VERB If you shake someone out of an attitude or belief that you disapprove of, you cause them to change their attitude or belief to one that is more responsible or sensible.[V n out of n] No amount of reasoning could shake him out of his conviction...
[V n out of n] Many businessmen still find it hard to shake themselves out of the old state-dependent habit.
13) N-COUNT A shake is the same as a milkshake.He sent his driver to fetch him a strawberry shake.
14) PHRASE: PHR after v If you do not get a fair shake, you are not given a reasonable opportunity to succeed or to achieve something. [mainly AM, INFORMAL]A lot of people think that they're not going to get a fair shake from the courts.
Syn:a fair chance15) PHRASE: v-link PHR If you say that someone or something is no great shakes, you mean that they are not very skilful or effective. [INFORMAL]I'm no great shakes as a detective...
Democracies, in general, are no great shakes at confronting terrorism.
16) PHRASE: V inflects If you shake someone's hand or shake someone by the hand, you shake hands with them.I said congratulations and walked over to him and shook his hand...
The Secretary emerged, a big fat man who quickly shook us all by the hand.
17) PHR-RECIP: V inflects, PHR with n, pl-n PHR If you shake hands with someone, you take their right hand in your own for a few moments, often moving it up and down slightly, when you are saying hello or goodbye to them, congratulating them, or agreeing on something. You can also say that two people shake hands.He nodded greetings to Mary Ann and Michael and shook hands with Burke...
We shook hands and parted on good terms.
18) to shake the foundations of something → see foundationPhrasal Verbs:- shake up
English dictionary. 2008.
