earthquake
a series of vibrations induced in the earth's crust by the abrupt rupture and rebound of rocks in which elastic strain has been slowly accumulating.
something that is severely disruptive; upheaval.
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Origin of earthquake
1Other words for earthquake
Other words from earthquake
- pre·earth·quake, adjective
Words Nearby earthquake
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use earthquake in a sentence
Continuous buildup of carbon dioxide underground, he says, could drive earthquakes, which fracture Earth’s crust and allow more CO2 to creep upward, which in turn generates more quakes.
Carbon dioxide from Earth’s mantle may trigger some Italian earthquakes | Maria Temming | August 26, 2020 | Science NewsWhen they do, they can raise up mountains, cause earthquakes — and open up volcanoes.
Phenomena like earthquakes and ocean tides continually knock Earth’s rotation off-kilter, requiring constant correction of GPS satellite signals.
A giant underground motion sensor in Germany tracks Earth’s wobbles | Maria Temming | July 17, 2020 | Science NewsWhile this is not the first time Ghana’s capital has experienced earth tremor, the frequency and intensity of recent tremors have left many residents worried about an imminent major earthquake.
One of Africa’s fastest-growing cities is not prepared for the earthquake it knows is coming | Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu | July 3, 2020 | QuartzChristchurch, New Zealand, transitioned to telework after earthquakes rocked the country in 2010 and 2012.
Environment Report: The Latest Power Struggles for SDG&E and Sempra | MacKenzie Elmer | June 29, 2020 | Voice of San Diego
But on Thursday Boxer triggered a Golden State political earthquake, announcing that she would not seek a fifth term in 2016.
The Golden State Preps for the ‘Red Wedding’ of Senate Races | David Freedlander | January 9, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTIn 1997, an earthquake in Assisi caused the collapse of the main cathedral and killed ten people.
In 2010 Cuba provided the largest contingent of medical staff during the aftermath of the huge earthquake that shook Haiti.
The earthquake sparked a surge in religious belief in Japan.
It is a glimpse at life exactly as it was at 3:32 am on April 6, 2009 when the earthquake stopped time.
Madonna, Carla Bruni & Obama Abandoned Pledges To Rebuild L'Aquila After The Quake | Barbie Latza Nadeau | November 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAn earthquake completely destroyed Schiraz in Persia; 12,000 lives were lost.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel MunsellShe is always in fear of an earthquake, and feels safer to have a light burning in readiness all night long.
Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin | Mary Hazelton WadeMatthew, in his account of the fact of the Resurrection, says that there was an earthquake when the angel rolled away the stone.
God and my Neighbour | Robert BlatchfordA terrible earthquake happened at Pekin, in China, throwing down houses and burying more than 1,000 inhabitants in the ruins.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel MunsellThe town of Praia, in the island of Terceira, completely destroyed by an earthquake.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel Munsell
British Dictionary definitions for earthquake
/ (ˈɜːθˌkweɪk) /
a sudden release of energy in the earth's crust or upper mantle, usually caused by movement along a fault plane or by volcanic activity and resulting in the generation of seismic waves which can be destructive: Related adjective: seismic
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for earthquake
[ ûrth′kwāk′ ]
A sudden movement of the Earth's lithosphere (its crust and upper mantle). Earthquakes are caused by the release of built-up stress within rocks along geologic faults or by the movement of magma in volcanic areas. They are usually followed by aftershocks. See Note at fault.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for earthquake
A tremor of the surface of the Earth, sometimes severe and devastating, which results from shock waves generated by the movement of rock masses deep within the Earth, particularly near boundaries of tectonic plates. (See fault, Richter scale, and seismology.)
Notes for earthquake
Notes for earthquake
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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