From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishthe shakesthe shakesILLFRIGHTENEDnervous shaking of your body caused by illness, fear, too much alcohol, not getting a drug you are dependent on etc If I don’t smoke, I get the shakes. → shake
Examples from the Corpus
the shakes• Still feel the shakes, rattles and rolls?• He said she acted erratic, got the shakes one evening and almost had a nervous breakdown.• He said he's still got the shakes almost 2 years later.• It gives her the shakes and ruins her concentration.• And then it happened again, and Kate had another twenty-four hours of the shakes.• I was put on Heminephrin - it helps to stop the shakes and the sweats.• I downplay the sweats, the shakes, the fever. 