• Trepidatory

    Full definition of trepidatory

    Adjective

    trepidatory

    1. That trepidates, or that causes trepidations
      • 1953, Charles E. Osgood, Method and Theory in Experimental PsychologyUnfortunately, like Guthrie he has never given a formal statement of his principles, and it is therefore up to the reader to ferret out these things for himself — always a trepidatory procedure.
      • 2003, Laurence Gardner, Realm of the Ring LordsThis was all very good news for the Church bishops because the shapeshifting werewolf had a limited trepidatory function, especially in places like England where wolves were generally unknown, although some existed then to the north in Scotland.
      • 2008, David Downing, Silesian StationRussell took his usual chair and the usual trepidatory sip, and was pleasantly surprised.
    2. An earthquake with an vertical, up-and-down motion, as opposed to a horizontal, side-to-side motion.
      • 1843, Edward Belcher, This earthquake was felt at Mexico at precisely the same hour, lasting there about one minute and a half, the motion there being undulatory, but at Acapulco trepidatory.
      • 1882, Knowledge, volume 1The most severe shock lasted for 70 seconds, and combined oscillatory, trepidatory, and rotatory movement.
      • 1995, Elena Poniatowska, Aurora Camacho de Schmidt and Arthur Schmidt, Nothing, Nobody: The Voices of the Mexico City EarthquakeThe particular trepidatory and oscillatory patterns arising from the lake bed especially afflicted high-rise buildings between six and fifteen stories.
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