tsunami
an unusually large sea wave produced by a seaquake or undersea volcanic eruption.
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Origin of tsunami
1- Also called seismic sea wave.
Other words from tsunami
- tsu·na·mic [tsoo-nah-mik, -nam-ik], /tsʊˈnɑ mɪk, -ˈnæm ɪk/, adjective
Words that may be confused with tsunami
- cyclone, hurricane, tidal wave, tornado, tsunami , typhoon
Words Nearby tsunami
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use tsunami in a sentence
The widely predicted blue tsunami was more like a modest midsummer swell.
The Unexpected Benefits of Thinking for Yourself in an Age of Polling | by Stephen Engelberg | November 9, 2020 | ProPublicaAlthough the news still focuses on the polls, it also seems to acknowledge that treating politics like a game might not be the best approach in a world that has been bowled over by the tsunami that is 2020.
The Election Podcast Trying to Get Everyone to Stop Listening | Fiona Zublin | October 29, 2020 | OzyWhatever its name, the tool has enormous potential to limit a tsunami of false or misleading news on topics like politics and health.
Facebook’s new tool to stop fake news is a game changer—if the company would only use it | Jeff | October 18, 2020 | FortuneThe tsunami of coronavirus news coverage can paradoxically make it hard to find the information you want.
The asteroid that crashed to Earth on the dinosaurs’ last day would have caused tsunami waves.
When it came to shooting the famous parting of the Red Sea, Ridley Scott elected to show a tsunami splitting the waters.
Christian Bale: One Man's Moses Is Another Man's Terrorist | Candida Moss, Joel Baden | December 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThings picked up again when the 2011 tsunami hit Tōhoku, Japan.
House of the Witch: The Renegade Craft Brewers of Panama | Jeff Campagna | November 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTTypically, celebrities have stayed out of the Middle East conflict, knowing full well the tsunami of emotions it carries.
How Jon Stewart Made It Okay to Care About Palestinian Suffering | Dean Obeidallah | July 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTTempest, hurricane, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, or Big Bang?
How Marine Le Pen and France’s Ultra-Right Won the Day | Tracy McNicoll | May 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd now, a massive magnitude 8.2 off the coast of Chile that even generated a tsunami.
A Lot of Earthquakes Have Been Reported Lately, but Scientists Aren’t Worried | Erik Klemetti | April 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
British Dictionary definitions for tsunami
/ (tsʊˈnæmɪ) /
a large, often destructive, sea wave produced by a submarine earthquake, subsidence, or volcanic eruption. Sometimes incorrectly called a tidal wave
a sudden increase in or overwhelming number or volume of: the tsunami of Olympic visitors
Origin of tsunami
1Collins 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 tsunami
[ tsōō-nä′mē ]
A very large ocean wave that is caused by an underwater earthquake or volcanic eruption and often causes extreme destruction when it strikes land. Tsunamis can have heights of up to 30 m (98 ft) and reach speeds of 950 km (589 mi) per hour. They are characterized by long wavelengths of up to 200 km (124 mi) and long periods, usually between 10 and 60 minutes. See Note at tidal wave.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for tsunami
[ (tsooh-nah-mee) ]
A large wave on the ocean, usually caused by an undersea earthquake, a volcanic eruption, or coastal landslide. A tsunami can travel hundreds of miles over the open sea and cause extensive damage when it encounters land. Also called tidal waves.
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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