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vibrate - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

From Latin vibrātus, perfect passive participle of vibrō (agitate, set in tremulous motion), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyp- (to oscillate, swing) or *weyb-.

vibrate (third-person singular simple present vibrates, present participle vibrating, simple past and past participle vibrated)

  1. (intransitive) To shake with small, rapid movements to and fro.
    • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “The Coronation”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. [], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, [], →OCLC, page 5:

      When "God save the King!" resounded meow meow through the stately abbey, the banners vibrating with the mighty music, I felt quite enthusiastic in my loyalty.

    • 1951 October, R. S. McNaught, “Lines of Approach”, in Railway Magazine, page 706:

      The tender roared along vibrating vigorously; braking had resulted in "flats" on most of its tyres.

  2. (intransitive) To resonate.

    Her mind was vibrating with excitement.

  3. (transitive) To brandish; to swing to and fro.
    to vibrate a sword or a staff
  4. (transitive) To mark or measure by moving to and fro.
    a pendulum vibrating seconds
  5. (transitive) To affect with vibratory motion; to set in vibration.
    • 1669, William Holder, Elements of Speech: An Essay of Inquiry into the Natural Production of Letters: [], London: [] T. N[ewcomb] for J[ohn] Martyn printer to the R[oyal] Society, [], →OCLC:

      Breath vocalized, i.e., vibrated or undulated, may [] impress a swift, tremulous motion.

  6. (transitive, slang, dated) To please or impress someone.
    • 1949, Ladies' Home Journal, volume 66, page 115:

      And if he wants to give you high praise, he'll answer, "That vibrates me"; "That has a large charge"; or "That's oogley."

    • 1961, Congressional Record:

      [] standing side by side under a Grecian column, tapping their feet in unison and saying such things as "Hot-diggety,” “Razz-ma-tazz," “That vibrates me," and other expressions of praise current in their youth.

  7. (intransitive, music) To use vibrato.
  8. (transitive, slang) To pleasure someone using a vibrator.
    • 1999 March 27, PeterW, “Jack with Jill”, in alt.jokes.limericks‎[1] (Usenet):

      Downstairs in the living-room Jill
      Was vibrating herself for a thrill.

to move with small movements rapidly

to resonate

to brandish; to swing to and fro

to mark or measure by moving to and fro

vibrate (uncountable)

  1. The setting, on a portable electronic device, that causes it to vibrate rather than sound any (or most) needed alarms.
    Synonym: vibrate mode

    Please put your cellphones on vibrate for the duration of the meeting.

setting

vibrate

  1. inflection of vibrare:
    1. second-person plural present indicative
    2. second-person plural imperative

vibrate f pl

  1. feminine plural of vibrato

vibrāte

  1. second-person plural present active imperative of vibrō

vibrate

  1. second-person singular voseo imperative of vibrar combined with te