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 The 2010 earthquake left 220,000 people dead, but there was a national and international response to give Haitians a sense that the crisis was met with action, Le Cour said. Samantha Schmidt, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 After reports of early earthquake relief supplies being stolen by the Somoza regime in Nicaragua, Clemente decided to deliver the next plane of earthquake supplies himself, perhaps reasoning that government thieves wouldn’t dare steal from Roberto Clemente in the flesh. Stephen Rodrick, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024 Recommended In June 2006, he was named director-general of Haiti’s Ministry of Health and later became its chief of staff, helping to manage the government’s response to a devastating 2010 earthquake. Dánica Coto, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2024 Penn himself grabbed the mic shortly after, reflecting on the group’s formation in 2010 following the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Kirsten Chuba, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 In November, the Blue Lagoon was closed for a week after 1,400 earthquakes were measured in 24 hours. Catherine Nicholls, CNN, 2 Mar. 2024 The best way to protect yourself during an earthquake is to drop, cover and hold on, officials say. Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 29 Feb. 2024 July 25, 2005: Construction begins on the renovation, which would include all-new electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems along with earthquake retrofitting. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2024 Damage from the earthquakes was not immediately reported. USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2024

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 19 Mar. 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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