a. [f. L. tremul-us trembling, quivering, shaking (f. trem-ĕre to tremble, shake) + -OUS.]
1. Of persons, their limbs, etc.: Characterized or affected by trembling or quivering from nervous agitation or weakness, of mental or physical origin; hence, fearful, timorous.
1611. Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., IX. viii. (1623), 569. The Monkes [being] very tremulous to enter matter of new intrications.
1667. Decay Chr. Piety, xi. 310. The tender tremulous Christian, ’tis easie to discern how much he must be distracted and amaz’d by them.
1714. R. Fiddes, Pract. Disc., I. 310. I shall appear to be of an abject and tremulous spirit.
1784. Cowper, Task, II. 729. His voice unstrung Grew tremulous.
1897. R. Hichens, Londoners (1902), 101. She gained the purple drawing-room on rather tremulous feet.
b. Said of writing, a line, or the like, done by a tremulous hand; hence, finely wavy.
2. Of things: Characterized by trembling or vibration; vibratory; easily caused to vibrate or tremble.
1616. Chapman, Homer’s Hymns, To Mother of Gods, 4. That doth with Cymball sounds, delight her life; and tremulous diuisions of the Fife.
1664. Power, Exp. Philos., I. 21. In my long Telescope I can some days see a tremulous Motion and Agitation of rowling fumes, and strong Atoms in the air.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), VI. 265. A tremulous motion which this animal [torpedo] is found to possess.
1815. J. Smith, Panorama Sci. & Art, II. 497. Gelatine, or jelly,… has a soft tremulous consistence.
1850. Farrar, Orig. Lang., i. 6. The tremulous ripple on the surface of the sea.
b. Ready to vibrate in response to some influence; also fig. tremblingly sensitive or responsive.
1794. G. Adams, Nat. & Exp. Philos., IV. xlix. 349. Columns of marble or porphyry are tremulous to thunder explosions, and to certain tones of an organ.
1867. H. Macmillan, Bible Teach., i. (1870), 3. He is tremulous … to all the influences of the hour and scene.
† 3. Affecting the organs of taste with a trembling or quivering sensation. Obs. rare.
1675. Grew, Disc. Tasts Plants, i. § 15. Tasts are either Still, as usually; or may be called Tremulous, as the Heat produced by Pyrethrum.
1707. Curios. in Husb. & Gard., 39. Grew … finds in Plants sixteen sorts of Tastes…. 16. Tremulous, as the Root of wild Pellitory.
4. Characterized by use of the tremolo in singing. (nonce-use.)
1884. Pall Mall G., 26 July, 4/1. He quivered and shook himself all to pieces with the tremulous fever now so fashionable.
1887. Daily News, 25 July, 4/8. The tremulous vocalists one after the other failed to win popular favour.
