shake
noun
Definitions of shake noun
movement
- Countable
an act of shaking something
She gave the box a shake to see if there was anything inside.
"No, no, no," he said, shaking his head.
I gave the can a good shake to make sure it was empty.
drink
- Countable
a drink made by adding fruit or other ingredients to milk or ice cream and mixing it together
She was carrying two hot dogs in one hand and a shake in the other.
This place makes the best banana shakes.
He got some fries and a chocolate shake for lunch.
Phrases of shake noun
- the shakes
Brief, rapid, side-to-side trembling movements of the body, typically caused by illness, fear, or excessive alcohol consumption.
• He woke up with the shakes, it seems he has a fever.
verb
Definitions of shake verb
move
- B1TransitiveIntransitive
to move backwards and forwards or up and down in quick, short movements, or to make something or someone do this
A young boy climbed into the apple tree and shook the branches so that the fruit fell down.
Babies like toys that make a noise when they're shaken.
The explosion shook buildings for miles around.
- B2Intransitive
If you are shaking, your body makes quick short movements, or you feel as if it is doing so, because you are frightened or nervous.
She was shaking as she opened the letter.
I was shaking in my shoes/boots about having to tell Dad what I'd done.
I was shaking like a leaf before the test.
- C2Intransitive
If your voice shakes, it makes you sound nervous or frightened.
Her voice shook as she talked about the person who attacked her.
His voice still had a tremble, even as he tried to speak calmly.
upset
- Transitive
to cause to feel upset and worried
The child seemed nervous and visibly shaken.
The news has shaken the whole country.
She felt quite shaken after hearing the news.
weaken
- Transitive
to make something less certain, firm, or strong
What has happened has shaken the foundations of her belief.
After six defeats in a row, the team's confidence has been badly shaken.
This discovery may shake traditional theories on how mountains are formed.
remove
- C2Transitive
to get rid of or escape from something
It's very difficult to shake the habit of a lifetime.
The company has so far been unable to shake its reputation for being old-fashioned.
He tried to shake the illness, but didn't succeed.
Phrases of shake verb
- shake your head
To move one's head from side to side, typically to indicate disagreement, disapproval, sadness, disbelief, or refusal.
• She shook her head when I asked if she would join us.
- shake your fist
To clench your hand into a fist and move it back and forth in the air, typically to express anger or a threat.
• He shook his fist at the sky in anger when he discovered his car had been scratched.
- shake hands
To clasp another's hand as a greeting, acknowledgment, or farewell.
• They shook hands after the meeting concluded.
- shake someone's hand/shake someone by the hand
to grasp someone's hand and move it up and down, particularly upon first meeting them or reaching an agreement
• After the meeting concluded, all participants shook hands to show goodwill.
- shake (hands) on sth
To make an agreement or finalize a deal by shaking hands.
• After some negotiation, they finally shook hands on the deal and reached an agreement.
Idioms
- shake a leg
an expression used to urge someone to move faster or speed up their actions
• If we want to arrive on time, shake a leg!
- more (...) than you can shake a stick at
A large quantity or number of something; an abundance.
• This city has more restaurants than you can shake a stick at.
- in two shakes (of a lamb's tail)
Very quickly; in a very short amount of time.
• Don't worry, I'll send you the report in two shakes of a lamb's tail.
Phrasal Verbs of shake
- shake something up
to instigate significant alterations in an entity, typically to enhance its performance
• The company decided to shake up the management team to instigate a comprehensive change in its operations.
- shake something out
to grasp a piece of fabric at one end and vigorously shake it up and down to remove dirt or creases.
• She shook the towel out a few times to remove excess moisture.
- shake something off
to eliminate or recover from an illness
• After a few days of rest, she was finally able to shake off her cold.
- shake down
to settle into order or routine following a period of transition
• After moving, it took us some time to shake down.
- shake out
to undergo changes over time until the ultimate outcome is determined
• At the early stages of our planning, we are unsure how the final outcome will shake out, as we need time to see how things develop.
- shake someone up
When someone is unsettled by a distressing event, it often leaves them feeling shocked and disturbed.
• His sudden death shook everyone up.
- shake someone down
to extract money from a person through intimidation or deceitful practices
• Be careful not to let those thugs shake you down, or they will extort money from you.
- shake someone/somewhere down
meticulously examine a person or location, typically to uncover stolen items or illegal possessions
• The police shook down the suspicious warehouse for any illegal substances.
- shake someone/something off
to escape from someone or something persistently pursuing you
• He tried to shake off the stranger who was following him.
- shake someone out of something
to stop someone from experiencing a certain feeling by startling them, scaring them, or causing a sudden realization.
• Her scream shook him out of his reverie.