quaver
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An eighth note with stem facing up, an eighth note with stem facing down, and a quaver rest.
English
Etymology
From Middle English quaveren, frequentative form of quaven, cwavien (“to tremble”), equivalent to quave + -er. Cognate with Low German quabbeln (“to quiver”), German quabbeln, quappeln (“to quiver”). More at quave, quab, quiver.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈkweɪvə(ɹ)/
Audio (Southern England): (file)
- Rhymes: -eɪvə(ɹ)
Noun
quaver (plural quavers)
- A trembling shake.
- A trembling of the voice, as in speaking or singing.
- (music) an eighth note, drawn as a crotchet (quarter note) with a tail.
- 1920 August 27, Katherine Mansfield [pseudonym; Kathleen Mansfield Murry], “The Wind Blows”, in Bliss and Other Stories, London: Constable & Company, published 1920, →OCLC, pages 140–141:
- The crotchets and quavers are dancing up and down the stave like little black boys on a fence.
Derived terms
Translations
a trembling shake
a trembling of the voice
(music) an eighth note
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Translations to be checked
See also
Verb
quaver (third-person singular simple present quavers, present participle quavering, simple past and past participle quavered)
- To shake in a trembling manner.
- (intransitive) To use the voice in a trembling manner, as in speaking or singing.
- 1982 December 11, Andrea Loewenstein, “The Joys of Community or Holiday-itis Strikes Back”, in Gay Community News, volume 10, number 21, page 12:
- "Aw come on, guys!" The woman, clearly overwhelmed by the force of the two friends' personalities, quavered on the point of tears.
- (transitive) To utter quaveringly.
- 1711 November 5 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard Steele et al.], “THURSDAY, October 25, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 205; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, , volume III, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC:
- We shall hear her quavering them […] to some sprightly airs of the opera.
Translations
to shake
to use the voice in a trembling manner
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.