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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
May’s eruption persisted through late June, and December’s eruption began on the Reykjanes Peninsula after weeks of thousands of earthquakes. Ty Roush, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024 Puerto Rico was then hit by devastating natural disasters, including Hurricane Maria in 2017 and a series of earthquakes in 2020, in addition to the pandemic. Nicole Acevedo, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2024 Now Morisseau, who is half Haitian and half Black American, is exploring a new setting, that of urbane Port-au-Prince, some years after the 2010 earthquake, a natural disaster that brought to the fore, with devastating clarity, the unnatural cycles of exploitation that threaten to define Haiti. Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2024 During the California Gold Rush, San Francisco was almost wiped out by a magnitude 7.9 earthquake. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for earthquake 

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 1 Dec. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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