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Today it means

vibrate

to move back and forth rapidly

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Where does the word "vibrate" come from? It comes from Latin vibrare, and was adopted directly into English (1610s).

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Where does the word "vibrate" come from? It comes from Latin vibrare, and was adopted directly into English (1610s).

Vibrate’s story begins in Latin: vibrare meant “to shake.” Possibly related to 'vibex', a weal. It reached English by 1610s as vibrate. 'vibes' as feelings dates from the 1960s. Today, vibrate means to move back and forth rapidly.

  1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient vibrare "to shake", possibly related to 'vibex', a weal.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1610s vibrate "to shake", 'vibes' as feelings dates from the 1960s.

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