landslide

[land-slahyd]

noun

1. the downward falling or sliding of a mass of soil, detritus, or rock on or from a steep slope.

2. the mass itself.

3. an election in which a particular victorious candidate or party receives an overwhelming mass or majority of votes.

   the 1936 landslide for Roosevelt.

4. any overwhelming victory.

   She won the contest by a landslide.

verb (used without object)

landslid, landslid, landslidden, landsliding. 

1. to come down in or as in a landslide.

2. to win an election by an overwhelming majority.

landslide

/ ˈlændˌslaɪd /

noun

1. Also called: landslip. 

   1. the sliding of a large mass of rock material, soil, etc, down the side of a mountain or cliff

   2. the material dislodged in this way

2. 1. an overwhelming electoral victory

   2. ( as modifier )

      a landslide win

landslide

1. The rapid downward sliding of a mass of earth and rock. Landslides usually move over a confined area. Many kinds of events can trigger a landslide, such as the oversteepening of slopes by erosion associated with rivers, glaciers, or ocean waves; heavy snowmelt which saturates soil and rock; or earthquakes that lead to the failure of weak slopes.

2. The mass of soil and rock that moves in this way.

Word History and Origins

Origin of landslide¹

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40; land + slide

Example Sentences

The landslide was caused by "erosion" of the bank of the Ucayali River - the headwater of the Amazon - the country's National Emergency Operations Center said on X.

Read more on BBC

The death toll from devastating floods and landslides in Indonesia has risen to 593, according to a tally published Monday by the national disaster agency.

Read more on Barron's

Prabowo has come under increasing pressure to declare a national emergency in response to flooding and landslides that have killed at least 442 people, with hundreds more missing.

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Rescuers in Indonesia are searching for at least 400 people who have been reported missing, many believed to be buried under landslides, after cyclonic rains caused disastrous flooding nearly a week ago.

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The death toll from devastating floods and landslides in Indonesia has risen to 442, according to a tally published by the national disaster agency on Sunday.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• avalanche 
• mudslide