earthquake

noun

earth·​quake ˈərth-ˌkwāk How to pronounce earthquake (audio)
1
: a shaking or trembling of the earth that is volcanic or tectonic in origin
2

Examples of earthquake in a Sentence

a building destroyed by earthquake the San Andreas Fault is notorious for its earthquakes
Recent Examples on the Web Over the next 15 hours, almost 30 more earthquakes would be recorded, all in the same Baja California area. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2024 In the first 10 months of last year, more than 3,000 small earthquakes sent trembles through the region, raising fears of a coming rupture. Ligaya Mishan Anthony Cotsifas Emily Woo Zeller Tanya Pérez Quinton Kamara, New York Times, 13 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for earthquake 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'earthquake.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of earthquake was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near earthquake

Cite this Entry

“Earthquake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earthquake. Accessed 16 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

earthquake

noun
earth·​quake ˈərth-ˌkwāk How to pronounce earthquake (audio)
: a shaking or trembling of a portion of the earth

More from Merriam-Webster on earthquake

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