shake one's head

shake one's head
a) To move ones head from side to side, in a repeated swiveling motion from the neck, to indicate disagreement, negation, disbelief, or dismay.

"An Indian lost in the woods!" said the scout, shaking his head doubtingly.

b) To move ones head up and down, in a repeated hinge-like motion from the top of the spine, to indicate agreement, affirmation, approval, or simply polite attentiveness.

Mr. Brandon shook his head in despair at the unbusinesslike methods of his patron.


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  • shake one's head — phrasal : to move the head from side to side especially as an expression of disagreement, disapproval, or doubt * * * shake one s head To turn one s head from side to side as an indication of reluctance, rejection, denial, disapproval, etc • • •… …   Useful english dictionary

  • shake one's head — move one s head from side to side …   English contemporary dictionary

  • shake — shakable, shakeable, adj. /shayk/, v., shook, shaken, shaking, n. v.i. 1. to move or sway with short, quick, irregular vibratory movements. 2. to tremble with emotion, cold, etc. 3. to become dislodged and fall (usually fol. by off …   Universalium

  • shake — [c]/ʃeɪk / (say shayk) verb (shook, shaken, shaking) –verb (i) 1. to move or sway with short, quick, irregular vibratory movements. 2. to tremble with emotion, cold, etc. 3. to fall (down, off, etc.) by such motion: sand shakes off readily. 4. to …  

  • shake — v. & n. v. (past shook; past part. shaken) 1 tr. & intr. move forcefully or quickly up and down or to and fro. 2 a intr. tremble or vibrate markedly. b tr. cause to do this. 3 tr. a agitate or shock. b colloq. upset the composure of. 4 tr. weaken …   Useful english dictionary

  • head — I n. upper part of the body 1) to nod; shake one s head 2) to bare; bow; drop, hang, lower; lift, raise; move; poke, stick; scratch; toss; turn one s head (to scratch one s head in amazement; to poke one s head around the comer) 3) to hold one s… …   Combinatory dictionary

  • shake — {{11}}shake (n.) late 14c., from SHAKE (Cf. shake) (v.). As a type of instantaneous action, it is recorded from 1816. Phrase fair shake honest deal is attested from 1830, Amer.Eng. The shakes nervous agitation is from 1620s. Shakeout business… …   Etymology dictionary

  • shake — vb 1 Shake, tremble, quake, totter, quiver, shiver, shudder, quaver, wobble, teeter, shimmy, dither are comparable when they mean to exhibit vibratory, wavering, or oscillating movement often as an evidence of instability. Shake, the ordinary and …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • shake — [[t]ʃe͟ɪk[/t]] ♦♦ shakes, shaking, shook, shaken (The form shook can be used as the past participle for meaning 2 of the phrasal verb shake up.) 1) VERB If you shake something, you hold it and move it quickly backwards and forwards or up and down …   English dictionary

  • head — {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} noun 1 part of the body ADJECTIVE ▪ bare ▪ bald ▪ shaved ▪ blonde, dark, fair, grey/gray …   Collocations dictionary

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