quaking aspen

noun

See under aspen(def 1).

Origin of quaking aspen

First recorded in 1785–95

Words nearby quaking aspen

quaker-ladies, quakeress, quakerism, quakerly, quaking, quaking aspen, quaking bog, quaking grass, quaky, quale, qualifiable

Definition for quaking aspen (2 of 2)

aspen
[ as-puh n ]
/ ˈæs pən /

noun

any of various poplars, as Populus tremula, of Europe, and P. tremuloides (quaking aspen) or P. alba (white aspen), of America, having soft wood and alternate ovate leaves that tremble in the slightest breeze.

adjective

of or relating to the aspen.
trembling or quivering, like the leaves of the aspen.

Origin of aspen

1350–1400; Middle English aspen (adj.), Old English æspen; cognate with Old Frisian espen (adj.), espenbeam, Middle Dutch espenboom, Old High German espîn (adj.). See asp2, -en2

Example sentences from the Web for quaking aspen

  • Suddenly I came upon a large, quaking-aspen tree set back in the woods by the side of the bog.

    Everyday Adventures |Samuel Scoville

British Dictionary definitions for quaking aspen

aspen
/ (ˈæspən) /

noun

any of several trees of the salicaceous genus Populus, such as P. tremula of Europe, in which the leaves are attached to the stem by long flattened stalks so that they quiver in the wind Archaic name: asp

adjective

archaic, mainly literary trembling

Word Origin for aspen

Old English æspe; see asp ²