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temblor

[ tem-bler, -blawr; Spanish tem-blawr ]
/ ˈtɛm blər, -blɔr; Spanish tɛmˈblɔr /
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noun, plural tem·blors, Spanish tem·blo·res [tem-blaw-res]. /tɛmˈblɔ rɛs/.
a tremor; earthquake.

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Origin of temblor

An Americanism first recorded in 1895–1900; from Spanish: literally, “a quaking,” equivalent to tembl(ar) “to quake” (perhaps ultimately from Latin timēre “to fear” and Late Latin tremulāre “to quake”) + -or noun suffix; see tremble, -or1

Words nearby temblor

Telukbetung, Tema, temaki, temazepam, TĂ©mbi, temblor, Temenus, temerarious, temerity, TemesvĂĄr, Temin
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT TEMBLOR

What does temblor mean?

Temblor is another word for an earthquake or a tremor.

A temblor can also be called a trembler or a tremblor. These terms are all less commonly used than earthquake and tremor.

The plural of temblor is temblors, but temblores is also sometimes used as a plural (due to the fact that temblor came from Spanish and this is how it is pluralized in Spanish).

Example: The temblor that hit the area last month shook the whole city for more than a minute.

Where does temblor come from?

The first records of the word temblor in English come from the late 1800s. It was first and is primarily used in the U.S. It comes American Spanish, from the Spanish verb temblar, meaning “to tremble,” “to shake,” or “to quake.” It may ultimately derive from the Latin verb tremulāre, “to quake.” The word tremble also derives from this root.

Although temblor has the same meaning in both English and Spanish, its pronunciation is different. In Spanish, the emphasis is on the second syllable [ tem-BLOR ], while in English the first syllable is stressed [ TEM-blur ].

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What are some other forms related to temblor?

  • temblors (plural)
  • temblores (alternate plural)

What are some synonyms for temblor?

What are some words that share a root or word element with temblor? 

What are some words that often get used in discussing temblor?

How is temblor used in real life?

Temblor is often used in news headlines, probably since it’s fewer letters than earthquake.

 

 

Try using temblor!

Is temblor used correctly in the following sentence?

During the earthquake, the ground began to shake and temblor.

Words related to temblor

earthquake, upheaval, agitation, flutter, quake, quaver, quiver, ripple, seism, shake, shiver, tremble, trepidation, vibration, wobble, tremblor

How to use temblor in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for temblor

temblor
/ (ˈtɛmblə, -blɔː) /
noun plural temblors or temblores (tɛmˈblɔːreÉȘz)
mainly US an earthquake or earth tremor

Word Origin for temblor

C19: American Spanish, from Spanish temblar to shake, tremble
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
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