tsunami

[tsoo-nah-mee]

noun

1. an unusually large sea wave produced by a seaquake or undersea volcanic eruption.

tsunami

/ tsʊˈnæmɪ /

noun

1. a large, often destructive, sea wave produced by a submarine earthquake, subsidence, or volcanic eruption. Sometimes incorrectly called a tidal wave

2. a sudden increase in or overwhelming number or volume of

   the tsunami of Olympic visitors

tsunami

1. A very large ocean wave that is caused by an underwater earthquake or volcanic eruption and often causes extreme destruction when it strikes land. Tsunamis can have heights of up to 30 m (98 ft) and reach speeds of 950 km (589 mi) per hour. They are characterized by long wavelengths of up to 200 km (124 mi) and long periods, usually between 10 and 60 minutes.

2. See Note at tidal wave

tsunami

1. A large wave on the ocean, usually caused by an undersea earthquake, a volcanic eruption, or coastal landslide. A tsunami can travel hundreds of miles over the open sea and cause extensive damage when it encounters land. Also called tidal waves.

Other Word Forms

• tsunamic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tsunami¹

1905–10; < Japanese, equivalent to tsu harbor (earlier tu ) + nami wave

Word History and Origins

Origin of tsunami¹

from Japanese, from tsu port + nami wave

Example Sentences

If approved, it would be the first time Tepco is allowed to recommence nuclear reactor operations in Japan since its Fukushima plant went into meltdown following a tsunami.

Read more on BBC

Before the 2011 quake and tsunami, which killed around 18,000 people, nuclear power generated about a third of Japan's electricity, with fossil fuels contributing most of the rest.

Read more on Barron's

Teaching unions in England said schools were facing a "tsunami of stress and pressure", and teachers were being "driven out of the classroom at a time when children needed them most".

Read more on BBC

After an iceberg crashes into the water, surface waves called calving-induced tsunamis sweep across the fjord and mix the upper water layers.

Read more on Science Daily

Then came the tsunami, an inescapable wall of water that killed tens of thousands.

Read more on Literature

Related Words

• deluge 
• downpour 
• flow 
• glut 
• spate 
• stream 
• surge 
• tide 
• torrent 
• wave