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noun B2 Upper-Intermediate

tremor

TREH-muh

Tremor (noun) means an involuntary shaking movement of the body or a body part. Example: “A tremor in his hand made it hard to hold the cup steady.”

noun
1
An involuntary shaking movement of the body or a body part.
"A tremor in his hand made it hard to hold the cup steady."
2
A mild earthquake or the shaking caused by one.
"Residents felt a small tremor early this morning."
verb
1
To shake or quiver, often uncontrollably.
"His voice tremored slightly as he gave the speech."

How to use tremor

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA shaking movement, whether in a person's body or in the ground during a small earthquake.

Easily confused with
Common pairings
hand tremor seismic tremor a slight tremor

Word forms

tremored past tense, tremors plural, tremors singular

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

A _____ in his hand made it hard to hold the cup steady.

Etymology

From Latin tremor, "a trembling," from the verb tremere, "to shake" — related to tremble and tremendous.

Origin: Latin

quake shudder microseism earth tremor

Related words

Frequently asked questions

What does “tremor” mean?

The word “tremor” means an involuntary shaking movement of the body or a body part. In plain terms, a shaking movement, whether in a person's body or in the ground during a small earthquake.

How do you pronounce “tremor”?

“Tremor” is pronounced TREH-muh (/ˈtɹɛmɚ/ in IPA).

How do you use “tremor” in a sentence?

Here is “tremor” used in a sentence: “A tremor in his hand made it hard to hold the cup steady.”

What part of speech is “tremor”?

Depending on how it is used, “tremor” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “tremor” come from?

The word “tremor” comes from Latin. From Latin tremor, "a trembling," from the verb tremere, "to shake" — related to tremble and tremendous.

How many meanings does “tremor” have?

“Tremor” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: an involuntary shaking movement of the body or a body part.

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