shake

I UK [ʃeɪk] / US verb
Word forms "shake":
present tense I/you/we/they shake he/she/it shakes present participle shaking past tense shook UK [ʃʊk] / US past participle shaken UK [ˈʃeɪkən] / US
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1) [intransitive] to make lots of quick small movements up and down, or side to side

Houses shook as a bomb exploded in the neighbourhood.

a) [intransitive] if you shake, your body makes lots of small quick movements that you cannot control, usually because you are cold, or because you are feeling a very strong emotion

shake with fear/laughter etc:

She was literally shaking with fear.

b) [transitive] to move something quickly up and down or side to side

An earthquake shook a wide area of southern Italy last year.

Shake the dressing well before you put it on the salad.

c) [transitive] to hold someone and move them quickly in order to get their attention, or to wake them

"You're not listening!" she cried, shaking him.

2) shake or shake off

[transitive] to get rid of something bad such as a problem, illness, or fear

She couldn't shake her fear of snakes.

3) [intransitive] if your voice shakes, it sounds weak, nervous, or emotional

His voice shook as he asked her to marry him.

4) [transitive] to make something less strong, powerful, or confident

The news shook financial markets worldwide.

Violent conflicts between tribes have shaken the region.

5) [transitive] to frighten someone, or to cause them to feel strong emotions

The boy's tragic death shook the entire community.

He was shaken and upset by the accident.

6) shake or shake off

[transitive] to escape from someone who is following or chasing you

They ran into the alley, hoping to shake off their pursuers.

•

shake someone's belief/confidence/faith — to make someone doubt something that they were certain was true

Nothing could shake Mary's confidence as an athlete.

shake your finger (at someone) — to point your finger at someone and move it up and down quickly as a way of showing that you do not approve of what they are doing

"You had better be careful," Dad said, shaking his finger at me.

shake your fist (at someone) — to shake your closed hand in the direction of another person as a way of showing that you are angry at them

The two drivers began yelling and shaking their fists at each other.

shake hands (with someone)= shake someone's hand — to hold someone's hand and move it up and down several times as a way of greeting them or of showing that you agree to something

"Nice to meet you," Larry said, shaking my hand.

shake in your boots/shoes — to be afraid of something

The film was so scary I was shaking in my boots.

- shake your head

- shake a leg

- shake like a leaf

- shake on it

Phrasal verbs:

- shake down

- shake out

- shake up

II UK [ʃeɪk] / US noun [countable]
Word forms "shake":
singular shake plural shakes
*

1) the action of shaking

give something a shake:

John grabbed the gift and gave it a shake.

a shake of the head (= movement of your head from side to side in order to say no to something):

"No," Mrs Callison said with a firm shake of the head.

2) the amount of liquid or powder that comes out of a container when you shake it once

shake of:

Add three shakes of garlic salt.

3) a milkshake

4) the shakes

informal uncontrolled quick movements of your body that you make because, for example, you are ill, nervous, or have drunk too much alcohol have/get the shakes:

She got a bad case of the shakes before the show.

•

in two shakes (of a lamb's tail)= in a couple of shakes — very quickly

I'll be back in two shakes of a lamb's tail.

- no great shakes