1
: a case for carrying or holding arrows
2
: the arrows in a quiver
quivered; quivering
ˈkwi-və-riŋ 
ˈkwiv-riŋ
: to shake or move with a slight trembling motion
quiveringly
adverb
Synonyms
Examples of quiver in a Sentence
Verb
Her lips quivered when she heard the bad news.
aspen leaves quivering in the breeze
Noun (2)
a quiver ran through the audience when the monster cornered the movie's hero
Recent Examples on the Web
Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 3 Nov. 2024
His voice quivers, the acoustic guitars are nimble, and the cinematic strings shimmer like a diaphanous veil between earth and heaven.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2024
Keaton Bell, Vogue, 4 Oct. 2024
There’s the imperious Cardinal Tremblay (a smug and quivering John Lithgow), who was the last person to see the Holy Father before his death, and seems to be hiding a gospel’s worth of alternate truths under his robes.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for quiver 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Noun
Like many arrows in Payton’s quiver, this one comes from Bill Parcells.
—Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 3 Nov. 2024
His voice quivers, the acoustic guitars are nimble, and the cinematic strings shimmer like a diaphanous veil between earth and heaven.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2024
Verb
While the film uses some voiceover narration to tackle that interiority, Ronan often communicates just as much with just a furrowed brow or quivering lip.
—Keaton Bell, Vogue, 4 Oct. 2024
There’s the imperious Cardinal Tremblay (a smug and quivering John Lithgow), who was the last person to see the Holy Father before his death, and seems to be hiding a gospel’s worth of alternate truths under his robes.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for quiver
Dictionary Entries Near quiver
Cite this Entry
“Quiver.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quiver. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
quiver
1 of 3 noun
quiv·er
ˈkwiv-ər
1
: a case for carrying arrows
2
: the arrows in a quiver
quiver
3 of 3 noun
: the act or action of quivering : tremor
Etymology
Noun
Middle English quiver "a case for carrying arrows," from early French quivre (same meaning); of Germanic origin
Verb
Middle English quiveren "to quiver," probably from quiver "agile, quick"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share