—shake /ʃeɪk/
noun
F0 [C] an act of shaking something:
» She gave the box a shake to see if there was anything inside it.» "No, no, no," he said with a shake of his head.Thesaurus+: ↑Shaking, swinging and vibratingthe shakes [plural] INFORMALF0 short, quick movements from side to side that your body makes because you are ill, are frightened, or have drunk too much alcohol:
» I watched her hands as she prepared coffee and she definitely had the shakes.Thesaurus+: ↑Making short, sudden movementsF0 [C] INFORMAL a MILKSHAKE(Cf. ↑milkshake)
Thesaurus+: ↑Soft drinksWord Builder:–Nouns: shake–Adjectives: shaky–Verbs: shake–Adverbs: shakilyverb (shook, shaken) (MOVE) ↑Verb Endings for shake
B1 [I or T] to move backwards and forwards or up and down in quick, short movements, or to make something or someone do this:
» A young boy climbed into the apple tree and shook the branches so that the fruit fell down.» Babies like toys that make a noise when they're shaken.» The explosion shook buildings for miles around.» [+ obj + adj ] People in southern California were shaken awake by an earthquake.» She shook her hair loose from its ribbon.» Anna shook some powdered chocolate over her coffee.» Every time one of these big trucks goes through the village, all the houses shake.» The child's body was shaking with sobs.Thesaurus+: ↑Shaking, swinging and vibratingB2 [I] If you are shaking, your body makes quick short movements, or you feel as if it is doing so, because you are frightened or nervous:
» She was shaking as she opened the letter.» Her voice shook as she spoke about the person who attacked her.» I was shaking in my shoes/boots (= very nervous) about having to tell Dad what I'd done.» I was shaking like a leaf (= very nervous) before my exam.Thesaurus+: ↑Making short, sudden movementsshake sb's hand/shake sb by the handB1 to hold someone's hand and move it up and down, especially when you meet them for the first time or when you make an agreement with them:
» "Pleased to meet you," he said, shaking my hand.» The Princess was photographed shaking hands with AIDS victims.» It seems that we have a deal, so let's shake (hands) on it.» "Congratulations," she said, shaking the winner by the hand.Thesaurus+: ↑Welcoming, greeting and greetingsThesaurus+: ↑Gestures with the hands or armsshake your headB2 to move your head from side to side, in order to express disagreement, sadness, or that you do not want or believe something:
» I asked Tim if he'd seen Jackie lately but he shook his head.» "That's incredible!" he said, shaking his head in disbelief.Thesaurus+: ↑Gestures with the head or shouldersshake your fistF0 to hold your hand up in the air with your fingers and thumb bent, and move it forcefully backwards and forwards, to show that you are angry:
» He shook his fist at the driver who pulled out in front of him.Thesaurus+: ↑Gestures with the hands or armsWord Builder:–Nouns: shake–Adjectives: shaky–Verbs: shake–Adverbs: shakily• • •
Extra Examples:» Screw the lid firmly on to the jar and shake well.» Turn the bottle upside down and shake it.» I shook him but he didn't waken.» When the plane started to shake, I feared the worst.» She put out her hand to shake mine.verb [T] (shook, shaken) (GET RID OF) ↑Verb Endings for shake
► C2 to get rid of or escape from something: » It's very difficult to shake the habit of a lifetime.» The company has so far been unable to shake (off) its reputation for being old-fashioned.Thesaurus+: ↑Removing and getting rid of things , ↑Taking things away from someone or somewhereverb [T] (shook, shaken) (MAKE WEAKER) ↑Verb Endings for shake
► F0 to make something less certain, firm, or strong: » What has happened has shaken the foundations of her belief.» After six defeats in a row, the team's confidence has been badly shaken.» This discovery may shake (up) traditional theories on how mountains are formed.Thesaurus+: ↑Becoming and making less strongverb [T] (shook, shaken) (UPSET) ↑Verb Endings for shake
► F0 to cause to feel upset and worried: » The child seemed nervous and visibly shaken.» The news has shaken the whole country.Thesaurus+: ↑Making people sad, shocked and upset