Forms: α. 4–5 tremle, -el, -yl, (4 trenle, Sc. tremal), 5 -ylle, -ul, trymmel, 5–6 Sc. tri-, trymle, 6 Sc. trimm-, trymm-, -le, -yll, etc., trumle, 9 Sc. trimmil; β. 4–6 trem-, (trim-, trym-), -bel, -byl, etc., (6 trumbill), 4– tremble. [a. F. trembler (11th c. in Godef., Compl.):—pop. and med.L. tremulāre (Du Cange), by which the early tremel, -le, -yl form may have been influenced, f. L. tremul-us tremulous, f. tremĕre to tremble, quake, shake. Cf. Prov. tremblar, Sp. temblar, It. tremolare.]
1. intr. Of persons (less commonly of animals), or of the body or a limb: To shake involuntarily as with fear or other emotion, cold, or weakness; to quake, quiver, shiver.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 9390. Hys herte began to tremle and colde.
13[?]. St. Cristofer, 629, in Horstm., Altengl. Leg. (1881), 461. For ferde he tremlide ylka bone.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xvi. (Magdalena), 877. He tremaland, as he mocht. Ibid., xxxiii. (George), 257. Fast tremeland.
1412–20. Lydg., Chron. Troy, III. 5425. I … þat … Fele myn hond boþe tremble and quake.
1413. Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton, 1483), I. xv. 11. I tremble as doth a leef vpon a tree.
c. 1475. Rauf Coilȝear, 458. Trewlie that tenefull [a tiger] was trimland than.
1514. Barclay, Cyt. & Uplondyshm. (Percy Soc.), 6. We tremble naked, and dye almost for colde.
1598. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. i. III. Furies, 204. At every word they trimbléd then for aw.
a. 1668. Davenant, Siege, II. i. I tremble like a tender Lamb, In a cold Winter night.
1681. Flavel, Meth. Grace, ix. 192. The bird that has been delivered out of the tallons of the hawk, trembles afterward at the noise of his bells.
1797. Mrs. Radcliffe, Italian, i. He trembled with anxiety.
1820. W. Irving, Sketch Bk., I. 51. I felt Leslie’s hand tremble on my arm.
a. 1850. Rossetti, Dante & Circle, I. (1874), 94. Gives me full oft a fear that trembleth: So that I call on Death. Ibid., 167. Ah! Ballad, unto thy dear offices I do commend my soul, thus trembling.
b. fig. and rhet. To be affected with dread or apprehension, or with any feeling that is accompanied by trembling. Const. at, for, to do something.
c. 1400. Apol. Loll., 55. W[h]o is þe formar and original cause … of þis þus gret iuel, I drede ungly to sey, tremel and quake.
1552. Lyndesay, Monarche, 6018. I trimyll tyll heir tell The terribyll Turmentyng of hell.
1562. Winȝet, Last Blast, Wks. (S.T.S.), I. 40. We exhorte ȝow … to feir and trimble at the feirfull exemplis of deid.
1717. Lady M. W. Montagu, Lett. to C’tess Bristol, 1 April. The Grand Signior, with all his absolute power, trembles at a janissary’s frown.
1766. Gray, Kingsgate, 6. Earl Goodwin trembled for his neighbouring sand.
1778. Cowper, Hymn, ‘What various hindrances we meet,’ iii. Satan trembles when he sees The weakest saint upon his knees.
1815. Shelley, Dæmon, 282. While human tongues Tremble to speak.
1911. Maret, Anthropol., ii. 43. Then man presumably killed game … on top of the Wealden dome, how many years ago one trembles to think.
2. Of things: To be agitated or affected with vibratory motion; to shake, quake, quiver.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., I. met. i. 1 (Camb. MS.). The slake skyn tremblyth of myn emptyd body.
c. 1375. Cursor M., 24413 (Fairf.). Þe erþ be-gan to tremble & quake.
1484. Caxton, Fables of Æsop, IV. xiv. Whan the toune is taken … the Country aboute … ouȝt to tremble and shake.
1555. Eden, Decades, 322. The poynt of the needle styll respected the northe … sauynge that it sumwhat trembeled and declyned a lyttle.
1697. Dryden, Æneid, X. 418. They run their ships aground: the vessels knock,… and tremble with the shock.
1827. Carlyle, Misc., Richter (1869), 20. Then began the Aeolian Harp of the Creation to tremble and to sound.
1908. [Miss Fowler], Betw. Trent & Ancholme, 39. A little Harebell trembling in the breeze.
b. Said of the tremulous or vibratory motion or effect of light, sound, speech, etc.
c. 1400. [see TREMBLING vbl. sb.].
c. 1440. Partonope, 5790. Wyth voys tremelyng.
a. 1628, 1634. [see TREMBLING ppl. a.].
1708. Pope, Ode St. Cecilia, 17. In broken air, trembling, the wild music floats. Ibid., 114. Yet ev’n in death … Eurydice still trembled on his tongue. Ibid. (1737), Imit. Hor., II. vi. 189. Tell how the Moon-beam trembling falls.
1821. Shelley, Epipsych., 548. Where the pebble-paven shore … Trembles and sparkles as with ecstasy.
1842. Tennyson, Vision of Sin, 17. Low voluptuous music winding trembled.
c. fig.
1819. Shelley, Fragm., Questions, 8. A dream, Part of which comes true, and part Beats and trembles in the heart.
a. 1862. Buckle, Civiliz. (1869), III. iii. 121. The liberties of Scotland … were trembling in the balance.
† 3. trans. To regard with trembling or dread; to tremble at. (Cf. L. tremĕre.) Obs. rare.
1382. Wyclif, Isa. lxvi. 2. To whom … shall I beholde, but to my porelet [Vulg. pauperculum] and contrit in spirit, and tremblende [trementem] my wrdis?
1450–1530. Myrr. our Ladye, 185. Thy mother, whome the companyes of helles tremel and drede.
1565. T. Stapleton, Fortr. Faith, 104. That whiche … the deuil, aboue al thinges, trembleth.
4. To cause to tremble or shake.
1591. Spenser, Virg. Gnat, 616. Either Scipion … To whom the ruin’d walls of Carthage vow’d, Trembling their forces, sound their praises lowd.
1649. G. Daniel, Trinarch., Hen. V., xxv. The Palsey of the common Earth, Trembles my Quill.
1652. W. Durham, Maran-atha (1652), 11. It was much that a prisoner should so soon tremble his Judge.
1746. Tansur, New Mus. Gram., 23. A Shake, or Trilloe,… is to shake, tremble, or warble your Voice, or Instrument.
1818. Keats, Endym., I. 468. Thou art as a dove Trembling its closed eyes.
1850. Mrs. Browning, Woman’s Shortcomings, ii. She trembles her fan.
5. intr. To pass tremulously. Chiefly poet.
1730–46. Thomson, Autumn, 151. Soon as the morning trembles o’er the sky And unperceived unfolds the spreading day.
1795. Coleridge, Eolian Harp, 46. Organic Harps … That tremble into thought.
a. 1817. T. Dwight, Trav. New Eng., etc. (1821), II. 413. With a snail-like progress … We trembled through this part of our way.
1842. Tennyson, Talking Oak, 161. A teardrop trembled from its source.
1864. Lowell, Fireside Trav., 295. On the dial of time the shadow has not yet trembled over the line that marks the beginning of the first century.
6. trans. Tremble out: To utter tremulously or falteringly.
1868. Adah I. Menken, Infelicia, 35. And trembling out prayers, and waiting to die.
Hence Trembled ppl. a., made to tremble.
1819. Keats, Ode to Psyche, 11. The whispering roof Of leaves and trembled blossoms.
