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seismic wave

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noun
  1. a wave of energy that is generated by an earthquake or other earth vibration and that travels within the earth or along its surface.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for seismic waves

seismic wave

noun
  1. an earth vibration generated by an earthquake or explosion
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
seismic waves in Culture

seismic waves

[(seyez-mik)]

In geology, shock waves in solid rock generated by earthquakes or underground explosions. (See seismology.)

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Note

Seismic waves travel through the Earth and can be detected far from their source.

Note

Most of our knowledge of the Earth's interior comes from studying seismic waves.

Note

The measurement of seismic waves is also important in detecting underground nuclear tests.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.