earthquake
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earth·quake
(ûrth′kwāk′)n.
A sudden movement of the earth's crust caused by the release of stress accumulated along geologic faults or by volcanic activity. Also called seism, temblor.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
earthquake
(ˈɜːθˌkweɪk)n
(Geological Science) a sudden release of energy in the earth's crust or upper mantle, usually caused by movement along a fault plane or by volcanic activity and resulting in the generation of seismic waves which can be destructive.
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
earth•quake
(ˈɜrθˌkweɪk)n.
1. a series of vibrations induced in the earth's crust by the abrupt rupture and rebound of rocks in which elastic strain has been slowly accumulating.
2. something that is severely disruptive; upheaval.
[1300–50]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
earth·quake
(ûrth′kwāk′) A sudden movement of the Earth's crust. Earthquakes are caused by the release of built-up stress within rocks along geologic faults or by the movement of magma in volcanic areas. They are usually followed by aftershocks. See Note at fault.
Did You Know? If all the dishes fall out of your cabinet, you may honestly be able to say, "It's the Earth's fault!" Indeed, the Earth has faults, cracks where sections of its outer shell (the lithosphere) slip past each other, causing an earthquake when subjected to great forces. Three kinds of waves accompany earthquakes. Primary (P) waves have a push-pull type of vibration. Secondary (S) waves have a side-to-side type of vibration. Both P and S waves travel deep into the Earth, reflecting off the surfaces of its various layers. S waves cannot travel through the liquid outer core. By contrast, surface (L) waves—a third type of wave, named after the 19th-century British mathematician A.E.H. Love—travel along the Earth's surface and do most of the damage associated with an earthquake. The total amount of energy released by an earthquake is measured on the Richter scale. On this scale, each increase by 1 corresponds to a tenfold increase in earthquake strength. Thus an earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale is 10 times stronger than one measuring 4.0. Earthquakes above 7 on the Richter scale are severe. The famous earthquake that flattened San Francisco in 1906 measured 7.8.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
earthquake
A sudden shaking of the ground when stressed rocks move along a fault. Volcanic eruptions trigger some earthquakes.
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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| Noun | 1. |  earthquake - shaking and vibration at the surface of the earth resulting from underground movement along a fault plane of from volcanic activityseismic disturbance, shock - an instance of agitation of the earth's crust; "the first shock of the earthquake came shortly after noon while workers were at lunch" seaquake, submarine earthquake - an earthquake at the sea bed geological phenomenon - a natural phenomenon involving the structure or composition of the earth |
| 2. | earthquake - a disturbance that is extremely disruptive; "selling the company caused an earthquake among the employees" commotion, hoo-ha, hoo-hah, hurly burly, kerfuffle, to-do, disruption, disturbance, flutter - a disorderly outburst or tumult; "they were amazed by the furious disturbance they had caused" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
earthquake
noun earth tremor, quake (informal), tremor, seism the catastrophic Mexican earthquake of 1985
Related words
adjective seismic
adjective seismic
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
earthquake
nounThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
زِلْزالزِلْزَال
zemětřesení
jordskælv
tertremo
maanjäristys
רעידת אדמהרעש אדמה
potres
földrengés
gempa bumi
jarðskjálftijarîskjálfti
地震
지진
potres
jordbävning
แผ่นดินไหว
động đất
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
earthquake
[ˈɜːrθkweɪk] n → tremblement m de terre, séisme m
modif [activity, zone] → sismique; [damage, victims] → d'un tremblement de terre
Britain is to send aid to the earthquake victims → La Grande-Bretagne va envoyer des secours aux victimes du tremblement de terre.earth sciences npl → sciences fpl de la terreearth-shattering [ˈɜːrθʃætəɪŋ] adj → stupéfiant(e)Earth Summit n → Sommet m de la Terreearth tremor n → secousse f sismiqueearth wire n (ELECTRICITY, ELECTRONICS) → conducteur m de terre
Britain is to send aid to the earthquake victims → La Grande-Bretagne va envoyer des secours aux victimes du tremblement de terre.earth sciences npl → sciences fpl de la terreearth-shattering [ˈɜːrθʃætəɪŋ] adj → stupéfiant(e)Earth Summit n → Sommet m de la Terreearth tremor n → secousse f sismiqueearth wire n (ELECTRICITY, ELECTRONICS) → conducteur m de terre
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
earth
(əːð) noun1. the third planet in order of distance from the Sun; the planet on which we live. Is Earth nearer the Sun than Mars is?; the geography of the earth.
2. the world as opposed to heaven. heaven and earth.
3. soil. Fill the plant-pot with earth.
4. dry land; the ground. the earth, sea and sky.
5. a burrow or hole of an animal, especially of a fox.
6. (a wire that provides) an electrical connection with the earth.
verb to connect to earth electrically. Is your washing-machine properly earthed?
ˈearthen adjective (of a floor etc) made of earth.
ˈearthly adjective1. of or belonging to this world; not heavenly or spiritual. this earthly life.
2. possible. This gadget has no earthly use.
ˈearthenware noun, adjective (of) a kind of pottery coarser than china. an earthenware dish.
ˈearthquake noun a shaking of the earth's surface. The village was destroyed by an earthquake.
ˈearthworm noun (usually worm) a kind of small animal with a ringed body and no backbone, living in damp earth.
on earth used for emphasis. What on earth are you doing?; the stupidest man on earth.
run to earth to find (something or someone) after a long search. He ran his friend to earth in the pub.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
earthquake
→ زِلْزَال zemětřesení jordskælv Erdbeben σεισμός terremoto maanjäristys tremblement de terre potres terremoto 地震 지진 aardbeving jordskjelv trzęsienie ziemi terramoto, terremoto землетрясение jordbävning แผ่นดินไหว deprem động đất 地震Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
earthquake
n. terremoto, temblor de tierra, sismo.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
earthquake
n terremoto, (light) temblor m (de tierra)English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.