mudslide
Britishnoun
Explanation
When dirt, rocks, and water flow down the side of a mountain, it's called a mudslide. Heavy rain and melting snow can both cause mudslides. Another name for a mudslide is a debris flow. It's a fast-moving type of landslide that's made at least partly of mud, which gives the phenomenon its name. Mudslides often happen after natural disasters (like earthquakes), and hillsides that have been burned by wildfires or developed by people are more vulnerable. The effects of mudslides include impassable roads, broken pipes and cables that cause water and power outages, and even homes buried under mud.
Vocabulary lists containing mudslide
Earth Science - Middle School
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Earth Science - High School
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Earth Science - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mudslide risk: As rain batters Southern California, some residents near recent burn scars are bracing for potential debris flows, KNBC-TV reports.
From New York Times • Nov. 8, 2022
Mudslide debris forced the closure of Interstate 5 near Bellingham on Tuesday.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 18, 2021
I chose a three-part detox treatment called a Mudslide at nearby upscale Solage Calistoga.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2016
“Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns” works harder on both songwriting and sound.
From New York Times • Aug. 8, 2011
Mudslide victims were being wrapped in tablecloths, curtains, anything that local citizens could spare.
From Time Magazine Archive
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
