Shaker

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈʃeɪkɚ/

Definitions

1. An object used to mix or agitate liquids by shaking ; a container designed to release powdered substances usually through small holes ; an individual who shakes an object or thing to cause movement or dispersion
2. A tool meant for combining liquids by rapid back-and-forth motion ; a vessel that dispenses powders like salt or pepper by shaking ; someone who moves something repeatedly by shaking it
3. A device intended to mix ingredients by quick shaking ; a container to sprinkle fine particles through holes ; a person who vibrates or jolts something by shaking

Etymology: The most useful thing to know about "shaker" is that it is a plain English formation with no exotic history: the verb "shake" plus the agent suffix "-er," meaning one who or that which does the action. "Shake" itself goes back to Old English "sċacan," and "-er" traces through Middle English back to the Old English "-ere," an ending that turns a verb into the name of a doer or tool. The word's three senses follow that logic. A cocktail or spice "shaker" is the thing that does the shaking, the sprinkler is a container whose shaking releases its contents through holes, and a person who jolts something is simply the one doing the shaking. Each sense comes from the same act, applied to a different object or agent.

Synonyms: mixer, vibrator, agitatior

Antonyms: stabilizer