fault line

American  

noun

Geology.

1. the intersection of a fault with the surface of the earth or other plane of reference.

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fault line British  

noun

1. Also called: fault plane.  geology the surface of a fault fracture along which the rocks have been displaced

2. a potentially disruptive division or area of contention

   Europe remains the main fault line in the Tory Party

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Etymology

Origin of fault line

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

She did not feel it at the time, but she was living on the fault lines of an ugly custody battle between her parents, who both went on to remarry.

From BBC

“The deeper fault line here is not trade flows. It is capital,” wrote Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset Management, in a Sunday note.

From MarketWatch

“The deeper fault line here is not trade flows. It is capital,” wrote Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset Management, in a Sunday note.

From MarketWatch

Thanks to their location close to tectonic plate fault lines, South Pacific islands are surrounded by potentially enormous mineral deposits.

From The Wall Street Journal

"This is significant because it means the ground shaking near the fault line might be more intense than our current hazard models predict for these types of faults."

From Science Daily

Related Words

• rift