vibrate

EnglishEdit

From Latin vibrātus, perfect passive participle of vibrō (“agitate, set in tremulous motion”).

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

(intransitive) To shake with small, rapid movements to and fro.
(intransitive) To resonate.
Her mind was vibrating with excitement.
(transitive) To brandish; to swing to and fro.
to vibrate a sword or a staff
(transitive) To mark or measure by moving to and fro.
a pendulum vibrating seconds
(transitive) To affect with vibratory motion; to set in vibration.
- 1669, William Holder, Elements of Speech
  Breath vocalized, i.e., vibrated or undulated, may […] impress a swift, tremulous motion.
- 1864, Alfred Tennyson, “Aylmer’s Field”, in Enoch Arden, &c., London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], OCLC 879237670, page 81:
  Star to star vibrates light: may soul to soul / Strike thro' a finer element of her own?
(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.
(intransitive, music) To use vibrato.

to move with small movements rapidly

to resonate

to brandish; to swing to and fro

to mark or measure by moving to and fro

to set in vibration

vibrate (uncountable)

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