shake
• verb (past shook; past part. shaken) 1 move quickly and jerkily up and down or to and fro. 2 tremble uncontrollably with strong emotion. 3 make a threatening gesture with: he shook his fist. 4 remove or dislodge by shaking. 5 shock or astonish. 6 weaken (confidence, a belief, etc.). 7 get rid of or put an end to: old habits he couldn’t shake off. • noun 1 an act of shaking. 2 an amount sprinkled from a container. 3 informal a milkshake. 4 (the shakes) informal a fit of trembling or shivering. — PHRASES in two shakes (of a lamb’s tail) informal very quickly. no great shakes informal not very good. shake down 1 settle down. 2 N. Amer. informal extort money from. shake the dust off one’s feet leave indignantly or disdainfully. shake hands (with someone) clasp someone’s right hand in one’s own at meeting or parting, in reconciliation or congratulation, or as a sign of agreement. shake a leg informal make a start; rouse oneself. shake on informal confirm (an agreement) by shaking hands. shake up 1 rouse from lethargy or apathy. 2 make radical changes to (an institution or system). — ORIGIN Old English.
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