Mawson, C.O.S., ed. (1870–1938). Roget’s International Thesaurus. 1922.
Class II. Words Relating to SpaceSection IV. Motion
4. Motion with Reference to Direction
315. [Irregular Motion.] Agitation.
NOUN:AGITATION, stir, tremor, shake, ripple, jog, jolt, jar, jerk, shock, succussion, trepidation, quiver, quaver, dance, tarantella, tarantism; vellication, jactation, jactitation, quassation [rare]; shuffling &c. v.; twitter, flicker, flutter.DISQUIET, perturbation, commotion, turmoil, turbulence; tumult, tumultuation [obs.]; hubbub, rout, bustle, fuss, racket.
TWITCHING, subsultus, floccillation, carphology or carphologia; staggers, megrims, epilepsy, fits; chorea, the jerks [colloq.], St. Vitus’s dance, tilmus.
SPASM, throe, throb, palpitation, pitapatation [humorous], convulsion, paroxysm, seizure, grip, cramp.
DISTURBANCE (disorder) [See Disorder]; restlessness (changeableness) [See Changeableness].
FERMENT, fermentation; ebullition, effervescence, hurly-burly, cahotage or cahotement [F.], cahot [Can.]; tempest, storm, ground swell, heavy sea, whirlpool, vortex [See Rotation]; whirlwind (wind) [See Wind].
VERB:BE AGITATED &c.; shake; tremble, – like an aspen leaf; shake like a jelly, quiver, quaver, quake, shiver, twitter, twire [obs.], writhe, toss, jactitate [rare], shuffle, tumble, stagger, bob, reel, sway; wag, waggle; wriggle, – like an eel; dance, stumble, shamble, flounder, totter, flounce, flop, curvet, prance, cavort [U. S.]; squirm; bustle.
toss about, jump about; jump like a parched pea; shake like an aspen leaf; shake to its -center, – foundations; be the sport of the winds and waves; reel to and fro like a drunken man; move -, drive- from post to pillar and from pillar to post; keep between hawk and buzzard.
THROB, pulsate, beat, palpitate, go pitapat.
FLUTTER, flitter [archaic], flicker, bicker; twitch, vellicate.
FERMENT, effervesce, foam; boil, boil over; bubble, bubble up; simmer.
AGITATE, shake, convulse, toss, tumble, bandy, wield, brandish, flap, flourish, whisk, jerk, hitch, jolt; jog, joggle; jostle, buffet, hustle, disturb, stir, shake up, churn, jounce, wallop [dial.], whip.
ADJECTIVE:AGITATED, tremulous; subsultory [obs.], desultory, succussive, saltatorial, saltant, saltatoric or saltatory quassative [rare]; shambling; giddy-paced, convulsive, jerky; effervescent, effervescive, vellicative, unquiet, restless, all of a twitter [colloq.], all of a flutter; shaking &c. v.
ADVERB:by fits and starts; subsultorily [obs.] &c. adj.; per saltum [L.]; hop, skip, and jump; in convulsions, in fits, in a flutter.
QUOTATIONS:
- Tempête dans un verre d’eau.
- The tempestuous petticoat.—Herrick
- With many a flirt and flutter.—Poe
- The waves were not like water: they were like falling city walls.—Chesterton
- Let the ether go surging ’Neath thunder and scourging Of wild winds unbound.—E. B. Browning