▪ I. quaver, n.
(ˈkweɪvə(r))
[f. the vb.]
1. Mus. A note, equal in length to half a crotchet or one-eighth of a semibreve. Also Comb.
| 1570 Levins Manip. 76/18 A Quauer, octaua pars mensuræ. 1597 Morley Introd. Mus. Annot., Who inuented the Crotchet, Quauer and Semiquauer is vncertaine. 1659 J. Leak Waterwks. 31 Demi-crochets or Quavers, whereof there are sixteen in one measure. 1706 A. Bedford Temple Mus. viii. 165 The greatest Part..is sung in Short Notes..and are Prickt with Quavers. 1728 Chambers Cycl. s.v. Rest, The Quaver-Rest of common time. 1789 E. Darwin Bot. Gard. ii. (1791) 60 And then the third on four concordant lines, Prints the lone crotchet, and the quaver joins. 1866 Engel Nat. Mus. iii. 90 A slight alteration of the melody..such as a substitution of two quavers for a crotchet. |
| fig. a 1619 M. Fotherby Atheom. ii. xii. §1 (1622) 327, I will not strictly examine euery crochet and quauer. |
2. Mus. a. A shake or trill in singing.
| 1611 Coryat Crudities 27, I heard a certaine French man who sung very melodiously with curious quauers. 1711 Addison Spect. No. 29 ¶11 A Voice so full of Shakes and Quavers, that I should have thought the Murmurs of a Country Brook the much more agreeable Musick. 1768–74 Tucker Lt. Nat. (1834) II. 443 The people..attend solely to their quavers, without heeding the substance of what they sing. 1817 Byron Beppo ii, There are songs and quavers, roaring, humming. 1883 Stevenson Treas. Isl. v. xxiii, A..sailor's song, with a droop and a quaver at the end of every verse. |
b. in instrumental music. rare.
| 1627–77 Feltham Resolves ii. xxxvii. 234 Unlike a quaver on an Instrument, it is not there a grace, but a jar in Music. 1712 Addison Spect. No. 361 ¶6 Whether we consider the Instrument [the Cat-call] itself, or those several Quavers and Graces which are thrown into the playing of it. |
3. A shake or tremble in the voice; a tremulous voice or cry.
| 1748 Richardson Clarissa (1811) III. xiii. 86 [She] drew a sigh into two or three but just audible quavers. 1833 H. Martineau Tale of Tyme iii. 53 There was..a quaver of the voice which belied what he said. 1882 Stevenson New Arab. Nts. (1884) 63 Silas, with a quaver, admitted that he had done so. |
4. A quivering or tremulous movement. Also fig.
| 1736 H. Brooke Univ. Beauty v. 136 Tissu'd wing its folded membrane frees, And with blithe quavers fans the gath'ring breeze. 1881 Stevenson Virg. Puerisque, Eng. Admirals 208 The worth of such actions is not a thing to be decided in a quaver of sensibility. |
▪ II. quaver, v.
(ˈkweɪvə(r))
Also 5 qwaver.
[f. quave v. + -er5. Cf. quiver v.]
1. a. intr. To vibrate, tremble, quiver. Also, with adv., to go with a tremulous or quivering movement.
| 1430–40 Lydg. Bochas viii. viii. (1558) fol. vi, Whose double whele quauereth euer in dout. 1477 Sir J. Paston in P. Lett. III. 174 It semythe that the worlde is alle qwaveryng. 1590 Marlowe 2nd Pt. Tamburl. i. iii, Their fingers made to quaver on a lute. 1629 Gaule Holy Madn. 206 Tongue stammers, lips quauer. 1692 Luttrell Brief Rel. (1857) II. 571 The earthquake was so severe..that the streets quavered like the waves of the sea. 1839 Bailey Festus ix. (1852) 125 Like rivers over reeds Which quaver in the current. 1887 Stevenson Misadv. J. Nicholson ii. 4 The breeze..set the flames of the street-lamps quavering. 1943 A. Ransome Picts & Martyrs xv. 144 The three-cornered white flag..quavered up to the masthead. 1953 C. Mackenzie Passionate Elopement xxx. 270 Old Tabrum would quaver in from time to time to survey the comfort of his guests, regaling them with some particularly choice floral anecdote. |
b. Of the voice: To shake, tremble.
| 1741 Richardson Pamela II. 43 That melodious Voice praying for me..still hangs upon my Ears, and quavers upon my Memory. 1825 J. Neal Bro. Jonathan I. 401 His fine voice quavered. 1866 G. Macdonald Ann. Q. Neighb. i. (1878) 2 When my voice quavers. |
2. intr. To use trills or shakes in singing.
| 1538 Elyot, Vibrisso, To quauer in syngynge. a 1592 H. Smith in Spurgeon Treas. Dav. Ps. cxxxvi. 1 Like a nightingale, which..quavers and capers, and trebles upon it. 1665 R. Brathwait Comm. 2 Tales 23 He quavers in his musical Aires melodiously. 1684 tr. Agrippa's Van. Arts liv. 147 In Singing also the Italians Bleat, the Spaniards Whine, the Germans Howl, and the French Quaver. 1708 J. Philips Cyder ii. 413 Now sportive Youth Carol incondite Rhythms with suiting Notes, And quaver unharmonious. 1806–7 J. Beresford Miseries Hum. Life (1826) v. xii, One poor singer quavering like Orpheus of old to the trees. 1854 H. Miller Sch. & Schm. (1858) 403 Jock laboured hard to keep up with his guide; quavering and semi-quavering, as his breath served. |
3. a. trans. To sing (a note, song, etc.) with trills or quavers. Also with forth, out.
| 1570 Levins Manip. 78/43 To Quauer a note, vibrare. 1596 Drayton Legends i. 43 The Larke..Quaver'd her cleare Notes in the quiet Ayre. 1651 Cleveland Poems 49 Can a groan Be quaver'd out by soft division? 1757 Dyer Fleece (1807) 94 Th' am'rous youth..Quavers the choicest of his sonnets. 1820 W. Irving Sketch Bk. (1859) 150 He quavered forth a quaint old ditty. 1856 R. W. Procter Barber's Shop xiv. (1883) 118 The song which Jack..liked most to quaver was Alice Gray. |
b. trans. To utter with a quaver or in a quavering tone.
| 1872 A. C. Steele Broken Toys I. vii. 102 ‘Oh, yes, I was the upper-housemaid,’ the old woman quavered. 1897 W. W. Jacobs Skipper's Wooing iii. 36 ‘I'd rather you stayed,’ he quavered. ‘I would indeed.’ 1912 Red Mag. 1 Mar. 513/2 ‘Gus!’ she quavers. ‘Oh, Gus!’ 1947 Punch 5 Mar. 206/2 ‘Thank heavens you're here!’ he quavered as I went up to him. 1972 ‘J. Herriot’ It shouldn't happen to Vet xv. 105 ‘Have you got a drop o' whisky handy, Jim?’ he quavered. |
4. trans. To drive away by playing quavers.
| 1780 Cowper Progr. Err. 127 With wire and catgut..Quavering and semiquavering care away. |
Hence ˈquavered ppl. a. Also ˈquaverer, one who quavers.
| 1611 Cotgr., Gringuenoteur, A warbler, shaker, quauerer. 1762 Sir W. Jones Arcadia 164 His tune so various and uncouth he made, That..not a nymph [could] the quaver'd notes approve. 1802 in Spirit Pub. Jrnls. VI. 222 Italia sends us home Three quaverers together. |
▪ III. quaver
obs. Sc. form of quiver n.1