SHAKE, verb transitive preterit tense shook; participle passive shaken.

1. To cause to move with quick vibrations; to move rapidly one way and the other; to agitate; as, the wind shakes a tree; an earthquake shakes the hills or the earth.

I shook my lap, and said, so God shake out every man from his house-

Nehemiah 5:13

He shook the sacred honors of his head. Dryden.

-As a fig casteth her untimely fruit, when it is shaken of a mighty wind.

Revelation 6:1.

2. To make to totter or tremble.

The rapid wheels shake the heav'n's basis. Milton.

3. To cause to shiver; as, an ague shakes the whole frame.

4. To throw down by a violent motion.

Macbeth is ripe for shaking. Shak.

[But see shake off, which is generally used.]

5. To throw away; to drive off.

'Tis our first intent

To shake all cares and business from our age. [See Shake off.] Shak.

6. To move from firmness; to weaken the stability of; to endanger; to threaten to overthrow. Nothing should shake our belief in the being and perfections of God, and in our own accountableness.

7. To cause to waver or doubt; to impair the resolution of; to depress the courage of.

That ye be not soon shaken in mind. 2 Thessalonians 2:1.

8. To trill; as, to shake a note in music.

To shake hands, sometimes, to unite with; to aggree or contract with; more generally, to take leave of, from the practice of shaking hands at meeting and parting.

To shake off, to drive off; to throw off or down by violence; as, to shake off the dust of the feet; also, to rid one's self; to free from; to divest of; as, to shake off disease or grief; to shake off troublesome dependents.

SHAKE, verb intransitive

1. To be agitated with a waving or vibratory motion; as, the tree shakes with the wind; the house shakes in a tempest.

The foundations of the earth do shake. Isaiah 24:18.

2. To tremble; to shiver; to quake; as, a man shakes in an ague; or he shakes with cold, or with terror.

3. To totter.

Under his burning wheels

The steadfast empyrean shook throught,

All but the throne itself of God. Milton.

SHAKE, noun

1. Concussion; a vacillating or wavering motion; a rapid motion one way and the other; agitation.

The great soldier's honor was composed of thicker stuff which could endure a shake. Herbert.

2. A trembling or shivering; agitation.

3. A motion of hands clasped.

Our salutations were very hearty on both sides, consisting of many kind shakes of the hand. Addison.

4. In music, a trill; a rapid reiteration of two notes comprehending an interval not greater than one whole tone, nor less than a semitone.