[f. L. vibrāt-, ppl. stem of vibrāre to move rapidly to and fro, to brandish, shake, etc. So F. vibrer, Sp. and Pg. vibrar, It. vibrare.]
I. † 1. intr. Of persons: To move to and fro in a fight or struggle. Obs.–1
1616. Lane, Contn. Sqr.’s T., IX. 177. Pusshinge, repusshinge, vibratinge agen, as valient mortal and immortal men.
2. Of a pendulum, etc.: To swing to and fro; to oscillate.
1667. Phil. Trans., II. 440. A Pendulum … three foot, three inches … between the middle of the Bullet and the upper end of the Thread, where it is fastned … when it vibrates.
1698. Keill, Exam. Th. Earth (1734), 265. At Cayenne in America,… it is observ’d, that a Pendulum Vibrating in a second is shorter [etc.]. Ibid., 279. The Gravity where the swiftest Pendulum Vibrates.
1704. S. Clarke, Attributes, iii. (1738), 26. Pendulums, which (being of equal Lengths and unequal Gravities) vibrate in equal Times.
1827. N. Arnott, Physics, I. 96. Long pendulums vibrate more slowly than short ones.
1827. Faraday, Chem. Manip., ii. (1842), 33. To ascertain that they [i.e., balances] really are in adjustment; and that, after vibrating freely, they take a horizontal position.
1883. Encycl. Brit., XV. 718/1. The double complex pendulum, when it vibrates in one plane.
3. a. Of sounds: To strike on, sound in, the ear, etc., with an effect like that of a vibrating chord; to resound; to continue to be heard. Chiefly poet.
1735. Pope, Prol. Sat., 357. The whisper, that to greatness still too near, Perhaps, yet vibrates on his Sov’reign’s ear.
1742. Young, Nt. Th., III. 91. Her song still vibrates in my ravisht ear.
1797. Mrs. Radcliffe, Italian, i. The touching accents of her voice still vibrating on his heart.
1813. Byron, Corsair, I. xvi. He hears The clang of tumult vibrate on his ears.
1821. Shelley, ‘Music, when [etc.],’ 2. Music, when soft voices die, Vibrates in the memory.
1910. J. Macintosh, Poets of Ayrshire, 46. The sound of the anvil had ceased to vibrate in the streets.
b. To circulate about, move or pass through, pierce or penetrate to, by or as by vibration.
1756. W. Toldervy, Hist. Two Orphans, IV. 167. This strange news had vibrated about the town.
1764. Goldsm., Trav., 220. Those powers that … Catch every nerve, and vibrate through the frame.
1836. Johnsoniana, 323. Surely the finest sensibilities must vibrate through his frame, since they breathe so sweetly through his song!
1844. H. H. Wilson, Brit. India, I. 211. The consequences of the ambition of the French Emperor thus vibrated to the heart of Asia.
1863. Geo. Eliot, Romola, xl. The voice … had vibrated through her more than once before.
1875. B. Taylor, Faust, I. Notes 230. The puppet-play echoed and vibrated in many tones through my mind.
4. To move or swing backwards and forwards, or upwards and downwards, with some degree of rapidity; to quiver, shake or tremble.
1756. Burke, Subl. & B., Wks. 1. 267. The whole capacity of the eye, vibrating in all its parts, must approach near to the nature of what causes pain.
1802. Med. Jrnl., VIII. 345. The heart continued the whole time to vibrate … about thirty times in a minute.
1816. Tuckey, Narr. Exped. R. Zaire, iii. (1818), 91. A variety of palm trees vibrating in the breeze.
1853. Kane, Grinnell Exp., xxix. (1856), 250. The timbers … vibrated so as to communicate to you the peculiar tremor of a cotton-factory.
1897. Mary Kingsley, W. Africa, 358. The burning heat … making the whole desolate, hideous scene vibrate before your eyes as you can see things vibrating through the hot air over a line of gas jets.
b. spec. in Physics (see VIBRATION 3).
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), II. 163. If we strike a bell, or a stretched string, for instance,… a single blow produces a sound … which is multiplied as often as it happens to undulate, or vibrate.
1812–6. Playfair, Nat. Phil. (1819), I. 287. A musical string may vibrate, but if it is touched by a bit of cloth, or any soft body, no sound is heard.
1832. Brewster, Nat. Magic, viii. 180. If this string is taken by the middle and pulled aside, or if it is suddenly struck, it will vibrate between its two fixed points.
1871. Tyndall, Fragm. Sci. (1879), I. xiv. 384. When a hammer strikes a bell, the latter vibrates.
1875. Manning, Mission H. Ghost, i. 25. You know that if you strike a note of music, all the octave notes will vibrate.
c. transf. and fig.
1813. Shelley, Q. Mab, III. 186. When Nero … felt A new-created sense within his soul Thrill to the sight, and vibrate to the sound.
1852. Mrs. Stowe, Uncle Tom’s C., xl. Nerve and bone of that poor man’s body vibrated to those words.
1862. Burton, Bk. Hunter, I. 46. A hidden pang or gust of wrath has vibrated behind that placid countenance.
1898. ‘H. S. Merriman,’ Roden’s Corner, xxix. 306. The sight of him, the sound of his voice, stirred something within her that vibrated for hours.
5. fig. To move or oscillate between (or betwixt) two extreme conditions, opinions, etc.; to fluctuate or vary from one extreme to another. Also without const.: To vacillate in opinion.
1782. Priestley, Inst. Relig. (ed. 2), II. 107. A person who is less conversant in these things would feel his mind, as it were, vibrate between both [gains and losses].
1798. Survey Province of Moray, iii. 279. The number of scholars vibrates from 20 to 90.
1818. Ranken, Hist. France, V. v. 403. The marc of silver … vibrated betwixt 5 livres and 20 or 30 livres.
1857. Maurice, Mor. & Met. Philos., IV. viii. § 33. 466. The third method is to vibrate between these two opposite statements.
1874. Green, Short Hist., ix. § 1. 589. The life of a man of fashion vibrated between frivolity and excess.
1875. Merivale, Gen. Hist. Rome, lxxi. 582. While his susceptible imagination was in this state of fusion, his rival … was vibrating furiously from one side to the other.
II. † 6. trans. To brandish or flourish (a sword). Obs. rare. (Cf. VIBRANT ppl. a. 2.)
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 188. They … shake and vibrate their Swords vpon their Shields. Ibid., 207. In this their Extasie … the boyes … vibrate a readie sword against the beholders.
7. To throw with vibratory motion; to launch or hurl (a thunderbolt, sentence, etc.). Now Obs. or arch.
1641. ‘Smectymnuus,’ Answ., ix. (1653), 39. Excommunication … was never vibrated but by the hand of those that laboured in the Word and Doctrine.
1660. H. More, Myst. Godl., To Rdr. p. xxi. Such a Bishop as I have hitherto described…, that … vibrates that sacred thunder and lightning, the truely-dreadfull sentence of Excommunication. Ibid. (1664), Myst. Iniq., Apol., 555. Though I must confess that this is very stoutly and smartly vibrated, as a dart from a strong and agil arm.
1840–1. De Quincey, Style, III. in Lett. Self-Educ., etc. (1860), 272. That orator [i.e., Pericles] of whom (amongst so many that vibrated thunderbolts) it was said peculiarly that he thundered and lightened.
1846. Landor, Imag. Conv., II. 44/2. Many vibrate sharp comminations from the embrasures of portentously slit sleeves.
b. To emit, give forth, send out (light, sound, etc.) by, or as by, vibration or vibratory motion.
c. 1643. Ld. Herbert, Autobiog. (1824), 59. A Foil … whereby it [i.e., a diamond] may the better transmit and vibrate its native Lustre and Rays.
1665. Hooke, Microgr., 218. I have seen the Dog-starr to vibrate so strong and bright a radiation of light.
1788. Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3), I. 81/2. As to the frequency with which they [sc. chords] vibrate the deepest tones.
1810. W. Taylor, in Monthly Mag., XXIX. 418. O chear, Editha, and allow thy bosom To vibrate sympathy.
1864. Tennyson, Aylmer’s F., 578. Star to star vibrates light.
1874. Contemp. Rev., XXIV. 421. Any number of strings that are in unison will vibrate an answer to one of themselves when struck.
8. Of a pendulum, etc.: To measure (seconds) by vibration; also, to swing (so many times).
1667. Phil. Trans., II. 440. A Pendulum, vibrating Seconds,… must be three foot, three inches, and one fifth of an inch long. Ibid., 441. A Pendulum, held in the hand, vibrating 58 single strokes in a Minute.
1704. W. Derham, Ibid., XXV. 1785. The Movements … were an Eight day Clock vibrating seconds, and an Half-seconds Movement of mine.
1760. in Sixth Rep. Dep. Kpr., App. II. 130. A pendulum … which … will vibrate seconds in a true and regular manner.
1803. J. Wood, Princ. Mech., viii. 173. A pendulum which vibrates seconds in very small arcs.
1871. C. Davies, Metric Syst., II. 22. The length of a pendulum which should vibrate seconds at a given point on the earth’s surface.
9. To give a vibratory motion to (something); to cause to move to and fro or up and down, esp. with a quick motion; to put in vibration.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 19 Sept. 1657. 2 Virginian rattle-snakes … swiftly vibrating and shaking their tailes.
1728. Young, Love Fame, VI. 107. With skill she vibrates her eternal tongue, For ever most divinely in the wrong.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., I. 221. Their tails terminate with a hard horny spur, which they vibrate very quick when disturbed.
1822. I. Taylor, Apuleius, VII. 145. Though I vibrated my pendulous lips with excessive rotundity.
1879. G. Prescott, Sp. Telephone, 115. Bars, which, when to be vibrated by the action of heat, are made of brass.
a. 1887. C. C. Abbott, Naturalist’s Rambles, 303. The last spotted adder … vibrated the tail in a very marked manner.
b. fig. or in fig. context.
1815. Keats, Ode to Apollo, v. Each vibrates the string That with its tyrant temper best accords.
1875. Lowell, Wordsworth, Pr. Wks. 1890, IV. 365. He saw man such as he can only be when he is vibrated by the orgasm of a national emotion. Ibid. (1876), Among my Bks., Ser. II. 165. The ‘Muiopotmos’ pleases us all the more that it vibrates in us a string of classical association.
c. refl. To bring into a certain state by or after vibration. rare–1.
a. 1849. Poe, Tales, Monos & Una (ad fin.). That feeble thrill had vibrated itself into quiescence.
Hence Vibrated ppl. a.; Vibrating vbl. sb.
1669. Address to Hopeful Young Gentry England, 58. The pale face, vibrated eies, inequal pulse, and their waking Coma shew this to be under an acute feaver, which all their long sighs cannot hasten in breath enough to cool.
1743. Emerson, Fluxions, 303. To find the Time of a Pendulum’s vibrating in the Arch of a Cycloid.
1882. Bain, J. S. Mill, iii. 133. There was a clear walk, which was his principal place for ‘vibrating,’ as he [Bentham] called his indoor exercise.
