Quiver

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /ˈkwɪvə/

Definitions

1. A case for holding arrows, or to shake with slight rapid movements
2. To move with small, rapid, and usually involuntary motions ; a cylindrical or tapered container used to hold and transport arrows
3. Experiencing gentle, rapid vibrations typically caused by nervousness or cold ; a sheath or case designed specifically to carry arrows safely

Etymology: The most surprising thread runs through a container for arrows. "Quiver" for the case that holds arrows came into Middle English from Anglo-Norman "quivre," borrowed from Old Dutch "cocare," a West Germanic word for a container. That Germanic word is said to have come from Hunnic, and possibly from a Proto-Mongolic term meaning "leather vessel for liquids." English's own older form, "cocker," was later replaced by "quiver," so the arrow-case word wandered a long way from the steppe to reach the English bow. The verb meaning to tremble or shake with small movements is a separate word. It comes from Middle English "quiveren," probably formed from the adjective "quiver," which traces back to Middle English "quiver" or "cwiver," from Old English "cwifer," probably related to "cwic," meaning "alive." A trembling thing is, in this sense, a lively one. The two words meet in mathematics. In 1972, Pierre Gabriel used the German "Köcher" for a diagram structure in a paper, likely because a quiver holds arrows and a digraph's directed edges are also called arrows. The English mathematical term carries that picture of a bundle of arrows.

Synonyms: tremble, shake, shiver, vibrate, flutter

Antonyms: steady, calm, stabilize, still, settle