SHAKE HANDS • DICTIONARY ONE.COM • Definition of Shake hands

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/ʃeɪk hændz/ Listen

verb

Shake v. t. (past shook; past part. shaken, obs. shook; pres. part. shaking)

1.

To cause to move with quick or violent vibrations; to move rapidly one way and the other; to make to tremble or shiver; to agitate. "As a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind." "Ascend my chariot; guide the rapid wheels That shake heaven's basis."

2.

Fig.: To move from firmness; to weaken the stability of; to cause to waver; to impair the resolution of. "When his doctrines grew too strong to be shook by his enemies, they persecuted his reputation." "Thy equal fear that my firm faith and love Can by his fraud be shaken or seduced."

3.

(Mus.) To give a tremulous tone to; to trill; as, to shake a note in music.

4.

To move or remove by agitating; to throw off by a jolting or vibrating motion; to rid one's self of; generally with an adverb, as off, out, etc.; as, to shake fruit down from a tree. "Shake off the golden slumber of repose." "'Tis our fast intent To shake all cares and business from our age." "I could scarcely shake him out of my company."

To shake a cask (Naut.), to knock a cask to pieces and pack the staves.

To shake hands, to perform the customary act of civility by clasping and moving hands, as an expression of greeting, farewell, good will, agreement, etc.

To shake out a reef (Naut.), to untile the reef points and spread more canvas.

To shake the bells. See under Bell.

To shake the sails (Naut.), to luff up in the wind, causing the sails to shiver.

See images of 'Shake hands'

Etymology of 'Shake hands'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Shake hands" Quotes from Famous Books

... want him for," he said. "I want to go up and shake hands with a real live man. That's what I want. I read his message 'bout getting together, and it sure set me thinking. I'm strong for this Conference scheme. I'm going to back it for all I'm worth and do my darndest ...

— The Masques of Ottawa • Domino

... shake hands. CARTER is unchanged as to head and whiskers, but wears a square-cut black frock coat, or "Prince Albert," with trousers and waistcoat of the same material; old brown shoes, a derby hat, a blue ...

— The Gibson Upright • Booth Tarkington

... odd stab of emotion. A sense of how we had galled each other, and particularly how I must have galled him, came to me. "Confound it," thought I, "we might have done better!" I was on the point of asking him to shake hands—for that, somehow, was how I felt just then—when he put his feet together and leapt away from me towards the north. He seemed to drift through the air as a dead leaf would do, fell lightly, and leapt again. I stood for a moment watching him, then faced westward reluctantly, pulled ...

— The First Men In The Moon • H. G. Wells

... their author: suffer me also to anticipate that, on the publication of some parts yet in arrear of the Suspiria, you yourself may possibly write a letter to me, protesting that your disapprobation is just where it was, but nevertheless that you are disposed to shake hands with me—by way of proof that you like ...

— Autobiographic Sketches • Thomas de Quincey

... down which I had seen the Spahi ride, to descend into the fold of desert beyond it, to pause there a moment, out of sight of the hamlet, listen to the breeze, look at the darkening sky, feel the sand-grains stinging my cheeks, shake hands with the Sahara. ...

— The Desert Drum - 1905 • Robert Hichens

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