shakes
n. C / U B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈʃeɪks// UK //ʃˈeɪks// shakes
n. uncontrollable shaking of your body, often because you are very nervous, cold, or sick. It is a casual way to describe feeling unsteady.
n. involuntary tremors or shivering of the body, typically resulting from anxiety, physical illness, or withdrawal. Plural in form and informal in register.
I always get the shakes before I have to give a speech.
After spending three hours in the freezing rain, he had a bad case of the shakes and couldn't hold his tea.
The patient exhibited a mild case of the shakes during the initial assessment, which the physician attributed to a combination of acute caffeine intake and general fatigue.
Usage
Usually appears in the plural form ('the shakes') when referring to a physical state of trembling.