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tsunami

American  
[tsoo-nah-mee] / tsʊˈnɑ mi /

noun

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

tsunami British  
/ 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
"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
tsunami Scientific  
/ tso̅o̅-nä′mē /

  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 Cultural  

  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

Etymology

Origin of tsunami

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

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Example Sentences

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More: The AI ‘tsunami’ is coming and workers need to prepare — because we can’t dodge it.

From MarketWatch

Japan ordered all its nuclear power plant reactors to be shut down in 2011 after a magnitude 9 earthquake and massive tsunami caused a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant.

From BBC

The same modeling approach could eventually help scientists simulate tsunamis triggered by undersea earthquakes.

From Science Daily

A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the southern Philippines on Wednesday, the United States Geological Survey said, but there was no tsunami warning or immediate reports of damage.

From Barron's

The tsunami of eye-rolls she inspires among the staff are silently eloquent.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.