v. rare. [f. late L. tremulāre to tremble (Quicherat, Addenda): see -ATE3 5, 6.]
1. intr. To tremble, vibrate; to palpitate, quiver.
1749. Abp. Rhys, Tour Spain & Port. (1760), 92. Tender Limbs, that tremulate and wanton in the air.
1768. [W. Donaldson], Life Sir B. Sapskull, I. xiv. 137. His heart flutter’d! and the whole man was tremulating with affection!
1813. T. Busby, Lucretius, II. IV. Comm. 34. The auditory nerve tremulates, and the brain is agitated.
2. trans. To cause to tremble or vibrate.
1764. Grainger, Sugar-Cane, III. 205. The faint breeze oft flags on listless wings, Nor tremulates the cocos airiest arch.
1813. T. Busby, Lucretius, I. III. Comm. 8. No musician is provided … to tremulate the strings. Ibid., II. VI. Comm. 8. [The winds] tremulate whatever substances they encounter.
Hence Tremulated, Tremulating ppl. adjs.
1813. T. Busby, Lucretius, I. II. 467. Those colours which … Impress the tremulating nerves of sight. Ibid., II. IV. Comm. 27. Certain pulsations communicated to the air, by the tremulating organs of the voice. Ibid., 28. Substituting for his philosophy of vocal atoms, that of a tremulated medium.
