tremor

noun

trem·​or ˈtre-mər How to pronounce tremor (audio)
1
a
: a trembling or shaking usually from physical weakness, emotional stress, or disease
b
: nervous excitement
2
: a quivering or vibratory motion
especially : a discrete small movement following or preceding a major seismic event
3
a
: a feeling of uncertainty or insecurity
a tremor of hesitation
b
: a cause of such a feeling

Examples of tremor in a Sentence

Small tremors were still being felt several days after the earthquake. I heard a tremor in her voice. His tremors were caused by the disease.
Recent Examples on the Web The researchers determined that crowd motion was the primary source of the concert tremor signals, not the speaker system and instruments. Nicole Brown Chau, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2024 About 170 million Americans use TikTok, meaning any restrictive legislation would cause huge tremors across the cultural landscape. Aj Willingham, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 The Start of the Wobble The first tremor came about a year and a half after Imbrie’s proof. Charlie Wood, Quanta Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024 The National Weather Service office in San Diego noted the earthquakes, posting on X that there were 13 tremors as of 12:53 a.m., and some had been felt at the office. Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2024 The man’s body shook with a wild tremor that nearly knocked him down again. Lisa Sanders, M.d., New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Ground from a mineral called cinnabar, the substance would have sent them into a fevered trance with tremors and delirium. Bridget Alex, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024 Laying eyes for the first time on her biological father, Pierson, 36, saw a man in his 80s with a slight tremor due to Parkinson’s, sporting a blue golf shirt. Rob Kuznia, CNN, 14 Feb. 2024 About 25 people from as far away as Santa Fe Springs and Los Banos reported feeling the tremors to the agency. Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 1 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tremor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English tremour, from Anglo-French tremor, from Latin, from tremere

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of tremor was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near tremor

Cite this Entry

“Tremor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tremor. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tremor

noun
trem·​or ˈtrem-ər How to pronounce tremor (audio)
1
: a trembling or shaking usually caused by weakness or disease
2
: a quivering or vibrating motion
especially : a small movement of the earth before or after an earthquake

Medical Definition

tremor

noun
trem·​or ˈtrem-ər How to pronounce tremor (audio)
: a trembling or shaking usually from physical weakness, emotional stress, or disease
tremors of the hands

More from Merriam-Webster on tremor

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