vibrate

vi·brate

verb
\ˈvī-ˌbrāt, especially British vī-ˈ\

vi·brat·edvi·brat·ing

Definition of VIBRATE

transitive verb

1

: to swing or move to and fro

2

: to emit with or as if with a vibratory motion

3

: to mark or measure by oscillation <a pendulum vibrating seconds>

4

: to set in vibration

intransitive verb

1

a : to move to and fro or from side to side : oscillate b : fluctuate, vacillate <vibrate between two choices>

2

: to have an effect as or as if of vibration <music, when soft voices die, vibrates in the memory — P. B. Shelley>

3

: to be in a state of vibration : quiver

4

: to respond sympathetically : thrill <vibrate to the opportunity>

Examples of VIBRATE

1. The car started to vibrate.
2. When you blow into the instrument, the air vibrates the reed.

Origin of VIBRATE

Latin vibratus, past participle of vibrare to brandish, wave, rock — more at wipe

First Known Use: 1616

Related to VIBRATE

Synonyms: agitate, bucket, convulse, jerk, jiggle, joggle, jolt, jounce, judder [chiefly British], quake, quiver, shudder, shake, wobble (also wabble)

Related Words: rock, sway, swing; chatter, quaver, shiver, thrill, tremble; twitch; dodder, waver; flicker, fluctuate, flutter, oscillate, undulate, wave; beat, palpitate, pit-a-pat, pitter-patter, pulsate, pulse, throb

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See Synonym Discussion at swing

Rhymes with VIBRATE

abate, ablate, adnate, aerate, age-mate, agnate, airdate, airfreight, alate, arête, await, backdate, baldpate, bandmate, baseplate, bedmate, bedplate, berate, birthrate, bistate, bite plate, blank slate, blind date, blue plate, bookplate, breastplate, casemate, castrate, caudate, cell plate, cerate, cheapskate, checkmate, chelate, chordate, citrate, classmate, clavate, cognate, collate, comate, conflate, connate, Cook Strait, cordate, create, cremate, crenate, curate, cut-rate, deadweight, death rate, debate, deflate, delate, dentate, derate, dictate, dilate, disrate, donate, doorplate, downstate, drawplate, elate, end plate, equate, estate, faceplate, falcate, fellate, filtrate, first-rate, fishplate, fixate, flatmate, floodgate, fluxgate, flyweight, folate, formate, frustrate, gelate, gestate, ground state, gyrate, hamate, hastate, headgate, Hell Gate, helpmate, home plate, hot plate, housemate, hydrate, ice-skate, inflate, ingrate, inmate, innate, instate, irate, jailbait, Kuwait, lactate, lapse rate, legate, liftgate, ligate, lightweight, liquate, lobate, locate, lunate, lustrate, lych-gate, lyrate, magnate, makebate, makeweight, mandate, messmate, migrate, misstate, mutate, nameplate, narrate, negate, Newgate, nitrate, notate, nutate, oblate, of late, orate, ornate, ovate, palmate, palpate, peltate, phonate, pinnate, placate, playdate, playmate, plicate, portrait, postdate, predate, prime rate, probate, prolate, pronate, prorate, prostate, prostrate, punctate, pupate, quadrate, rain date, ramate, rebate, red-bait, relate, restate, roommate, rostrate, rotate, saccate, schoolmate, seatmate, sedate, sensate, septate, serrate, shipmate, short weight, slave state, soleplate, soul mate, spectate, spicate, squamate, stagnate, stalemate, stellate, striate, sublate, substrate, sulcate, summate, tailgate, teammate, Tebet, tenth-rate, ternate, terneplate, testate, third-rate, tinplate, to date, toeplate, tollgate, tractate, translate, tristate, truncate, unweight, update, uprate, upstate, V-8, vacate, vallate, valvate, virgate, vulgate, whitebait, workmate