quake

Plural: quakes

Noun

shaking and vibration at the surface of the earth resulting from underground movement along a fault plane of from volcanic activity
A trembling or shaking.
An earthquake, a trembling of the ground with force.
Something devastating, like a strong earthquake.

Verb

Verb Forms: quaked, quaking, quakes

To shake or tremble, often due to an earthquake or emotion.
shake with fast, tremulous movements
shake with seismic vibrations
To tremble or shake.
To be in a state of fear, shock, amazement, etc., such as might cause one to tremble.

Examples

I felt the ground quaking beneath my feet.
The Scrabble board seemed to quake after his colossal triple word score.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English quaken, from Old English cwacian (“to quake, tremble, chatter”), from Proto-Germanic *kwakōną (“to shake, quiver, tremble”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷog- (“to shake, swing”), related to Old English cweċċan (“to shake, swing, move, vibrate, shake off, give up”) (see quitch), Dutch kwakkelen (“to ail, be ailing”), German Quackelei (“chattering”), Danish kvakle (“to bungle”), Latin vexō (“toss, shake violently, jostle, vex”), Irish bogadh (“a move, movement, shift, change”).

Synonyms

earthquake, palpitate, quiver, seism, temblor, tremor

Scrabble Score: 18

quake: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
quake: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
quake: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 19

quake: valid Words With Friends Word