13 results for: earthquake
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Audio Help [urth-kweyk] Pronunciation Key | 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. |
| Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. |
earthquake
To learn more about earthquake visit Britannica.com
| © 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |
| earth·quake
Audio Help (ûrth'kwāk') Pronunciation Key
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. |
| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
earthquake
| Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper |
| earthquake | |
noun | |
| 1. | shaking and vibration at the surface of the earth resulting from underground movement along a fault plane of from volcanic activity |
| 2. | a disturbance that is extremely disruptive; "selling the company caused an earthquake among the employees" |
| WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University. |
ˈearthquake noun
Example: The village was destroyed by an earthquake.
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| Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version), © 2000-2006 K Dictionaries Ltd. |
earthquake
Audio Help (ûrth'kwāk') Pronunciation Key
(click for larger image in new window) A sudden movement of the Earth's lithosphere (its crust and upper mantle). 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. Our Living Language : Fractures in Earth's crust, or lithosphere, where sections of rock have slipped past each other are called faults. Earthquakes are caused by the sudden release of accumulated strain along these faults, releasing energy in the form of low-frequency sound waves called seismic waves. Although thousands of earthquakes occur each year, most are too weak to be detected except by seismographs, instruments that detect and record vibrations and movements in the Earth. The point where the earthquake originates is the seismic focus, and directly above it on Earth's surface is the earthquake's epicenter. 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 Earth, reflecting off the surfaces of its various layers. S waves cannot travel through the liquid outer core. Surface (L) waves—named after the nineteenth-century British mathematician A.E.H. Love—travel along Earth's surface, causing most of the damage of an earthquake. The total amount of energy released by an earthquake is measured on the Richter scale. Each increase by 1 corresponds to a tenfold increase in strength. Earthquakes above 7 on the Richter scale are considered severe. The famous earthquake that flattened San Francisco in 1906 had a magnitude of 7.8. |
| The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
earthquake
A tremor of the surface of the Earth, sometimes severe and devastating, which results from shock waves generated by the movement of rock masses deep within the Earth, particularly near boundaries of tectonic plates. (See fault, Richter scale, and seismology.)
Note: Earthquakes are particularly likely where such plates are sliding past each other, as in the San Andreas Fault.
Note: Earthquakes cannot be accurately predicted, although the likelihood of a region's suffering an earthquake can be estimated.
[Chapter:] Earth Sciences
| The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
earthquake
(IBM) The ultimate real-world shock test for computer hardware. Hackish sources at IBM deny the rumor that the San Francisco Bay Area quake of 1989 was initiated by the company to test quality-assurance procedures at its California plants.
[The Jargon File]
(1995-04-22)
| The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe |
earthquake
n. [IBM] The ultimate real-world shock test for computer hardware. Hackish sources at IBM deny the rumor that the Bay Area quake of 1989 was initiated by the company to test quality-assurance procedures at its California plants.
| Jargon File 4.2.0 |
Earthquake
Earth"quake`\, n. A shaking, trembling, or concussion of the earth, due to subterranean causes, often accompanied by a rumbling noise. The wave of shock sometimes traverses half a hemisphere, destroying cities and many thousand lives; -- called also earthdin, earthquave, and earthshock. Earthquake alarm, a bell signal constructed to operate on the theory that a few seconds before the occurrence of an earthquake the magnet temporarily loses its power.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
Earthquake
Earth"quake`\, a. Like, or characteristic of, an earthquake; loud; starling. The earthquake voice of victory. --Byron.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
Earthquake
mentioned among the extraordinary phenomena of Palestine (Ps. 18:7; comp. Hab. 3:6; Nah. 1:5; Isa. 5:25). The first earthquake in Palestine of which we have any record happened in the reign of Ahab (1 Kings 19:11, 12). Another took place in the days of Uzziah, King of Judah (Zech. 14:5). The most memorable earthquake taking place in New Testament times happened at the crucifixion of our Lord (Matt. 27:54). An earthquake at Philippi shook the prison in which Paul and Silas were imprisoned (Act 16:26). It is used figuratively as a token of the presence of the Lord (Judg. 5:4; 2 Sam. 22:8; Ps. 77:18; 97:4; 104:32).
| Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary |
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