earthquake

English Online Dictionary. What means earthquake‎? What does earthquake mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English erthequake, corresponding to earth +‎ quake. Displaced Middle English eorð byfung (“earthquake”) from Old English eorþbeofung (literally “earth shaking”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɜːθkweɪk/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɝθkweɪk/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)θkweɪk

Noun

earthquake (plural earthquakes)

1. A shaking of the ground, caused by volcanic activity or movement around geologic faults. [from 14th c.]
2. (planetary geology) Such a quake specifically occurring on the planet Earth, as opposed to other celestial bodies. [from 20th c.]
3. (figuratively) A sudden and intense upheaval; a severely disruptive event.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

• moonquake
• seaquake
• starquake

Translations

Verb

earthquake (third-person singular simple present earthquakes, present participle earthquaking, simple past and past participle earthquaked)

1. (intransitive) To undergo an earthquake.

See also

• aftershock
• earthquake engineering
• fault line
• Richter scale
• seismic
• seismograph
• seismologist
• seismology
• tremor
• tsunami

Further reading

• earthquake on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Tectonic hazards/Earthquake on Wikiversity.Wikiversity
• Category:Category:Animations of earthquake impact on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons

Anagrams

• heartquake

Scots

Etymology

Borrowed from English earthquake; compare yirdquauk.

Noun

earthquake (plural earthquakes)

1. earthquake

   Synonym: yirdquauk