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
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
Natalie Meade, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Three decades from my last episode sometimes a faint quiver in my cheek snaps me back to that distant physicality—a child unable to manage her own estate that quaked.
—Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
Literary Hub, 8 May 2026
In the 1970s, James Lovelock proposed that the biosphere was not just green scruff quivering on Earth's surface.
—Big Think, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quiver
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Noun
Shaggy was holding a squishy ball between his knees and pumping his arms up and down, making his whole body quiver.
—Natalie Meade, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Three decades from my last episode sometimes a faint quiver in my cheek snaps me back to that distant physicality—a child unable to manage her own estate that quaked.
—Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
Verb
Maggie could see how the soles of her feet strained against the stirrups, her pale fists grinding into the platform, knuckles first and elbows quivering.
—Literary Hub, 8 May 2026
In the 1970s, James Lovelock proposed that the biosphere was not just green scruff quivering on Earth's surface.
—Big Think, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quiver
Cite this Entry
“Quiver.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quiver. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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"
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