Definitions for quaverˈkweɪ vər

Random House Webster's College Dictionary

qua•verˈkweɪ vər(v.i.)

to shake tremulously; quiver or tremble.
to sound, speak, or sing tremulously.
to perform trills in music.
(v.t.)to utter, say, or sing with a quavering voice.
(n.)a quivering or trembling, esp. in the voice.
a quavering tone or utterance.
Category: Music and Dance
Ref: eighth note.

Origin of quaver:

1400–50; appar. freq. of ME quaven to tremble, shake

qua′ver•y(adj.)

Princeton's WordNet

quaver(noun)
a tremulous sound
eighth note, quaver(verb)
a musical note having the time value of an eighth of a whole note
quaver, waver(verb)
give off unsteady sounds, alternating in amplitude or frequency
warble, trill, quaver(verb)
sing or play with trills, alternating with the half note above or below

Wiktionary

quaver(Noun)
a trembling shake.
quaver(Noun)
a trembling of the voice, as in speaking or singing.
quaver(Noun)
an eighth note, drawn as a crotchet (quarter note) with a tail.
quaver(Verb)
to shake in a trembling manner.
quaver(Verb)
to use the voice in a trembling manner, as in speaking or singing.

Origin: From quaveren, frequentative form of quaven, cwavien, equivalent to . Cognate with quabbeln, quabbeln, quappeln. More at quave, quab, quiver.

Webster Dictionary

Quaver(verb)
to tremble; to vibrate; to shake
Quaver(verb)
especially, to shake the voice; to utter or form sound with rapid or tremulous vibrations, as in singing; also, to trill on a musical instrument
Quaver(verb)
to utter with quavers
Quaver(noun)
a shake, or rapid and tremulous vibration, of the voice, or of an instrument of music
Quaver(noun)
an eighth note. See Eighth