different between quiver vs waver

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?kw?v?/
• (General American, Canada) enPR: kw??v?r, IPA^(key): /?kw?v??/
• Rhymes: -?v?(?)
• Hyphenation: qui?ver

Etymology 1

From Middle English quiver, from Anglo-Norman quivre, from Old Dutch cocare (source of Dutch koker, and cognate to Old English cocer (“quiver, case”)), from Proto-West Germanic *kukur (“container”), said to be from Hunnic, possibly from Proto-Mongolic *kökexür (“leather vessel for liquids”); see there for more. Replaced early modern English cocker, the inherited reflex of that West Germanic word.

Noun

quiver (plural quivers)

1. (weaponry) A container for arrows, crossbow bolts or darts, such as those fired from a bow, crossbow or blowgun.
   • 1598, William Shakespeare, Much Ado about Nothing, Act I, Scene I, line 271:

     Don Pedro: Nay, if Cupid have not spent all his quiver in Venice, thou wilt quake for this shortly.

   • 1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page 39:

     Arrows were carried in quiver, called also an arrow case, which served for the magazine, arrows for immediate use were worn in the girdle.

2. (figuratively) A ready storage location for figurative tools or weapons.

   He's got lots of sales pitches in his quiver.

3. (obsolete) The collective noun for cobras.
4. (mathematics) A multidigraph.

Derived terms

• quiverful

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English quiver, cwiver, from Old English *cwifer, probably related to cwic (“alive”).

Adjective

quiver (comparative more quiver, superlative most quiver)

1. (archaic) Nimble, active.
   • 1598, William Shakespeare, Henry V, Part II, Act III, Scene II, line 281:

     [...] there was a little quiver fellow, and 'a would manage you his piece thus; and 'a would about and about, and come you in and come you in.

Etymology 3

From Middle English quiveren, probably from the adjective.

Verb

quiver (third-person singular simple present quivers, present participle quivering, simple past and past participle quivered)

1. (intransitive) To shake or move with slight and tremulous motion

   Synonyms: tremble, quake, shudder, shiver

   • And left the limbs still quivering on the ground.

Derived terms

• aquiver
• quivering
• quiversome

Translations

References

Further reading

• quiver on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Anglo-Norman quivre, from Old Dutch cocare; perhaps ultimately from Proto-Mongolic *kökexür or Hunnic. Doublet of coker.

Alternative forms

• quyver, qwyver, qwywere, qwyvere, whyver

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?kwiv?r/

Noun

quiver (plural quivers)

1. A quiver (a receptacle for arrows)
2. (rare, vulgar) A vulva.

Descendants

• English: quiver

References

• “quiver, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-05-04.

Etymology 2

From Old English *cwifer, probably related to cwic (“alive”).

Alternative forms

• quyver, quyvere, cwiver

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?kwiv?r/

Adjective

quiver

1. fast, speedy, rapid
2. energetic, vigourous, vibrant

Descendants

• English: quiver

References

• “quiver, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-05-04.

English

Etymology

From Middle English waveren, from Old Norse vafra (“to flicker”), akin to Old English w?fre (“restless, wavering”). Related to wave.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?we?.v?(?)/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?we?.v?/
• Rhymes: -e?v?(?)
• Homophone: waiver

Verb

waver (third-person singular simple present wavers, present participle wavering, simple past and past participle wavered)

1. (intransitive) To sway back and forth; to totter or reel.

   Flowers wavered in the breeze.

   • 1523–1525, Jean Froissart, John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Berners (translator), Froissart's Chronicles

     With banners and pennons wavering with the wind.
2. (intransitive) To flicker, glimmer, quiver, as a weak light.
3. (intransitive) To fluctuate or vary, as commodity prices or a poorly sustained musical pitch.
4. (intransitive) To shake or tremble, as the hands or voice.

   His voice wavered when the reporter brought up the controversial topic.

5. (intransitive) To falter; become unsteady; begin to fail or give way.
   • 2014, Jacob Steinberg, "Wigan shock Manchester City in FA Cup again to reach semi-finals", The Guardian, 9 March 2014:

     Although they believe they can overhaul their 2-0 deficit, they cannot afford to be as lethargic as this at Camp Nou, and the time is surely approaching when Manuel Pellegrini's faith in Martín Demichelis wavers.

6. (intransitive) To be indecisive between choices; to feel or show doubt or indecision; to vacillate.

   Despite all the terrible things that happened to her, she never wavered from her beliefs.

Translations

Noun

waver (plural wavers)

1. An act of wavering, vacillating, etc.
2. Someone who waves, enjoys waving, etc.

   I felt encouraged by all the enthusiastic wavers in the crowd.

   The Fourth of July brings out all the flag wavers.

   Johnny is such a little waver; everyone who passes by receives his preferred greeting.

3. Someone who specializes in waving (hair treatment).
4. A tool that accomplishes hair waving.
5. (Britain, dialect, dated) A sapling left standing in a fallen wood.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Halliwell to this entry?)

Translations

See also

• waiver

References

• waver at OneLook Dictionary Search
• waver in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.