Wiktionary

vibrate

English

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Etymology

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From Latin vibrātus, perfect passive participle of vibrō (“agitate, set in tremulous motion”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyp- (“to oscillate, swing”) or *weyb-.

Pronunciation

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  • (UK) IPA(key): /vaɪˈbɹeɪt/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈvaɪ.bɹeɪt/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -eɪt

Verb

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vibrate (third-person singular simple present vibrates, present participle vibrating, simple past and past participle vibrated)

  1. (intransitive) To shake with small, rapid movements to and fro.
    • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “The Coronation”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 5:
      When "God save the King!" resounded through the stately abbey, the banners vibrating with the mighty music, I felt quite enthusiastic in my loyalty.
    • 1951 October, R. S. McNaught, “Lines of Approach”, in Railway Magazine, page 706:
      The tender roared along vibrating vigorously; braking had resulted in "flats" on most of its tyres.
  2. (intransitive) To resonate.
    Her mind was vibrating with excitement.
  3. (transitive) To brandish; to swing to and fro.
    to vibrate a sword or a staff
  4. (transitive) To mark or measure by moving to and fro.
    a pendulum vibrating seconds
  5. (transitive) To affect with vibratory motion; to set in vibration.
  6. (transitive, slang, dated) To please or impress someone.
    • 1949, Ladies' Home Journal, volume 66, page 115:
      And if he wants to give you high praise, he'll answer, "That vibrates me"; "That has a large charge"; or "That's oogley."
    • 1961, Congressional Record:
      […] standing side by side under a Grecian column, tapping their feet in unison and saying such things as "Hot-diggety,” “Razz-ma-tazz," “That vibrates me," and other expressions of praise current in their youth.
  7. (intransitive, music) To use vibrato.
  8. (transitive, slang) To pleasure someone using a vibrator.
    • 1999 March 27, PeterW, “Jack with Jill”, in alt.jokes.limericks‎[1] (Usenet):
      Downstairs in the living-room Jill
      Was vibrating herself for a thrill.
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Translations

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Noun

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vibrate (uncountable)

  1. The setting, on a portable electronic device, that causes it to vibrate rather than sound any (or most) needed alarms.
    Synonym: vibrate mode
    Please put your cellphones on vibrate for the duration of the meeting.

Translations

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Further reading

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Anagrams

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Italian

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Etymology 1

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Verb

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vibrate

  1. inflection of vibrare:
    1. second-person plural present indicative
    2. second-person plural imperative

Etymology 2

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Participle

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vibrate f pl

  1. feminine plural of vibrato

Anagrams

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Latin

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Verb

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vibrāte

  1. second-person plural present active imperative of vibrō

Spanish

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Verb

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vibrate

  1. second-person singular voseo imperative of vibrar combined with te
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