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Added 9 October 2026

quaver

/ˈkweɪvə(ɹ)/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about quaver at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A tremulous sound.
A musical note having the time value of an eighth of a whole note.

verb

Give off unsteady sounds, alternating in amplitude or frequency.
Sing or play with trills, alternating with the half note above or below.

Origin

From Middle English quaveren, frequentative form of quaven, cwavien (“to tremble”), equivalent to quave + -er. Cognate with Low German quabbeln (“to quiver”), German quabbeln, quappeln (“to quiver”). More at quave, quab, quiver.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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