aftershock

[af-ter-shok, ahf-]

noun

1. a small earthquake or tremor that follows a major earthquake.

2. the effect, result, or repercussion of an event; aftermath; consequence.

   The aftershock of the bankruptcy was felt throughout the financial community.

aftershock

/ ˈɑːftəˌʃɒk /

noun

1. one of a series of minor tremors occurring after the main shock of an earthquake Compare foreshock

aftershock

1. A less powerful earthquake that follows a more forceful one. Aftershocks usually originate at or near the focus of the main earthquakes they follow and can continue for days or months. They usually decrease in magnitude and frequency with time.

Word History and Origins

Origin of aftershock¹

First recorded in 1890–95; after + shock ¹

Example Sentences

Dazed survivors of a pair of major earthquakes in the southern Philippines awoke on Saturday to scenes of devastation, after hundreds of aftershocks rocked the region overnight.

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Their efforts were complicated by widespread power outages, heavy rain and dozens of aftershocks.

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There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the aftershock.

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An aftershock of magnitude 2.5 was reported at 5:54 a.m., followed by a magnitude 2.6 quake at 6:20 a.m.

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That spinning feeling, coupled with a string of aftershocks, has left the 35-year-old tourism officer and many other survivors too scared to return to their homes, forcing them to live in tents temporarily.

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