seismology
Americannoun
noun
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Our knowledge of the properties of the crust, the mantle, and the core comes from this field.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of seismology
Explanation
If you're fascinated by earthquakes and the science behind them, you might want to study seismology. This branch of geology includes learning about tectonic plates, volcanoes, and earthquake prediction. The noun seismology comes from the Greek word for "earthquake," seismos, which stems from seiein, "to shake, agitate, or shiver." The suffix -logy is used to mean "the study of." Someone who's an expert in seismology is called a seismologist, and they study the seismic waves sent by earthquakes and the effects of earthquakes (like tsunamis), as well as the causes.
Vocabulary lists containing seismology
"Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone, Prologue–Chapter 14
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Artemis Fowl
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for March 12–March 18, 2022
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"What they see now is their new coastline," Nane Danlag of the Philippines' seismology centre told AFP from her office in General Santos City on Friday, adding the change was permanent.
From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026
"For volcano seismology, it is extremely interesting to study these signals and wave types that arise when magma moves below the surface," explained Reiss.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 27, 2025
Kostas Papazachos, a professor of seismology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, told broadcaster ERT that the authorities had to allow for the situation to continue for most or all of February.
From BBC ● Feb. 10, 2025
The 1933 temblor also prompted the state to authorize research into seismology and how structures could be constructed to resist shaking.
From Salon ● Jan. 26, 2025
With any luck, the centaur hadn’t run a seismology test on the manor grounds, or his ruse might be discovered.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
