San Andreas fault

[ san an-drey-uhs ]

/ ˈsæn ænˈdreɪ əs /

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noun Geology.

an active strike-slip fault in W United States, extending from San Francisco to S California and forming the on-land portion of the western margin of the North American Plate.

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Origin of San Andreas fault

After San Andreas Lake, located in the rift, in San Mateo County

Words nearby San Andreas fault

Samuelsson, samurai, samurai bond, San, Sanʿa, San Andreas fault, San Angelo, San Anselmo, San Antonian, San Antonio, San Antonio Peak

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use San Andreas fault in a sentence

San Francisco was the first city to pass one in 2006; since then, 14 other cities and three states have followed suit.
Christie Blames Parents for Bad Economy|Monica Potts|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And now Portland, Los Angeles, and San Francisco are all suing Uber for refusing to play by their old regulatory playbooks.
Why Do ‘Progressives’ Want to Ban Uber and AirBnB?|Adam Thierer, Christopher Koopman|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For a few minutes it seemed like old times, a return to the clearer fault-lines of the Cold War.
Indefensible but Indispensable America|Jamie Dettmer|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Race is the San Andreas Fault of our culture as well as our history.
The Wildly Peaceful, Human, Almost Boring, Ultimately Great New York City Protests for Eric Garner|Mike Barnicle|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Last year in San Diego, they sported bloody pants and angry signs.
Anti-Cutters Slam New CDC Recommendations on Circumcision|Nina Strochlic|December 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
San Antonio de Bexar lies in a fertile and well-irrigated valley, stretching westward from the river Salado.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
Columbus found the natives of San Salvador smoking after this manner.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
You never cared—you were too proud to care; and when I spoke to you about my fault, you did n't even know what I meant.
Confidence|Henry James
The five hundred men whom we had left in San Antonio de Bexar, fared no better.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
The jagged top and spurs of San Jacinto Mountain shone like the turrets and posterns of a citadel built of rubies.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson

Cultural definitions for San Andreas fault (1 of 2)

San Andreas Fault

[ (san an-dray-uhs) ]

A major geologic fault located in California. It runs from San Francisco to near San Diego and has been the source of serious earthquakes. (See also under “Earth Sciences.”)

Cultural definitions for San Andreas fault (2 of 2)

San Andreas Fault

[ (san an-dray-uhs) ]

A fault in California where the North American and the Pacific tectonic plates meet and slide past each other. (See earthquake and plate tectonics.)

notes for San Andreas Fault

A major earthquake along this fault has been predicted for many years. Because California is densely populated, such an event might have very serious consequences.