Basic+ Word of the Day: shake

shake (verb) past tense: shook

Can I shake your hand?

If something shakes, it means that it moves quickly from side to side or up and down.

• There was an explosion and the house shook.

If you shake, it means that your body makes small movements. We sometimes shake when we are very cold, scared or angry.

• You’re shaking! Take my jacket.

If you shake someone’s hand, it means that you take their hand and move it up and down. We sometimes do this when we meet someone for the first time, or because someone did something well.

• The boss shook my hand and said, “Well done!”

If you shake your head, it means that you move it from side to side. We do this because we want to say no to someone.

• She’s shaking her head because she thinks you’re wrong.

If you shake something, it means that you move it from side to side or up and down.

• You should shake the bottle before you open it.

In pop culture

Shakin’ Stevens was a singer from the 1980s. He was called Shakin’ (shaking) Stevens because of the way he danced. When he danced, he moved his body from side to side and shook his legs. In this video, you can see him dancing and singing one of his most famous songs.

There are other meanings of shake.