quicksand

quick·sand

noun \ˈkwik-ˌsand\

: deep, wet sand into which heavy objects sink easily

: a situation that is dangerous and difficult to escape from

Full Definition of QUICKSAND

1

:  sand readily yielding to pressure; especially :  a deep mass of loose sand mixed with water into which heavy objects readily sink

2

:  something that entraps or frustrates <lead poor people into consumerist quicksand — Robert Wright>

Examples of QUICKSAND

1. freed from the quicksands of war
2. <mired in the quicksand of credit card debt>

First Known Use of QUICKSAND

14th century

Related to QUICKSAND

Synonyms

entanglement, mesh(es), morass, net, noose, quagmire, web, snare, tanglement, toil(s), trap

Related Words

knot, snarl, tangle; cat's cradle, labyrinth, maze; cobweb, spiderweb

Rhymes with QUICKSAND

armband, at hand, backhand, backland, badland, bandstand, barehand, benchland, blackland, brass band, broadband, brushland, bushland, cabstand, cloudland, coastland, co-brand, command, cowhand, crash-land, cropland, crown land, dead hand, deckhand, demand, disband, dockhand, dockland, downland, dreamland, dryland, duneland, expand, farmhand, farmland, fenland, field hand, filmland, firebrand, firsthand, flatland, forehand, four-hand, free hand, freehand, gangland, glad-hand, Gotland, grandstand, grassland, handstand, hardstand, hatband, headband, headstand, heartland, heathland, home stand, hour hand, Iceland, in hand, inkstand, inland, iron hand, jack stand, jug band, kickstand, Kokand, Lapland, left-hand, longhand, lymph gland, mainland, marshland, misbrand, newsstand, nightstand, northland, noseband, off-brand, offhand, oil gland, old hand, on hand, outland, outstand, parkland, passband, pineland, playland, proband, Queensland, rangeland, remand, repand, Rhineland, ribband, right-hand, rimland, ring stand, roband, salt gland, scabland, screenland, scrubland, seastrand, shorthand, sideband, southland, spaceband, stagehand, steel band, summand, swampland, sweatband, sweat gland, tar sand, Thailand, thirdhand, tideland, trainband, unhand, unmanned, waistband, washstand, watchband, wave band, wetland, whip hand, wildland, withstand, wristband, X band

quicksand

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

State in which water-saturated sand loses its supporting capacity and acquires the characteristics of a liquid. Quicksand is usually found in a hollow at the mouth of a large river or along a flat stretch of stream or beach where pools of water become partly filled with sand and an underlying layer of stiff clay or other dense material prevents drainage. Mixtures of sand, mud, and vegetation in bogs often act like true quicksands. Any sand may become “quick” if its effective weight is being carried by water between the grains. In that case, even a footstep may collapse the loose structure. The sand-water suspension is denser than an animal or human body, so the body cannot sink below the surface, but struggling may lead to loss of balance and drowning.