earthquake

The word “earthquake” means a sudden shaking of the ground caused by movement in the Earth's crust. In plain terms, a violent shaking of the ground, or figuratively any huge, sudden disruption.

“Earthquake” is pronounced URTHK-wayk (/ˈɝθkweɪk/ in IPA).

Here is “earthquake” used in a sentence: “The earthquake destroyed hundreds of homes overnight.”

Words with a similar meaning to “earthquake” include earthdin, quake, seism, temblor, terremote and tremblor.

“Earthquake” is a noun.

The word “earthquake” comes from Old English. From Middle English erthequake, joining earth and quake; it replaced the older Old English word eorþbeofung.

“Earthquake” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Earthquake” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a sudden shaking of the ground caused by movement in the Earth's crust.

An earthquake is a sudden shaking of the ground caused by movement in the Earth's crust, and can range from mild to destructive. A tremor usually refers to a smaller or milder shaking, often used for the lesser vibrations before or after a larger event. Every tremor is a form of quake, but 'earthquake' is generally used for the more noticeable shaking.

An earthquake is the main event of ground shaking caused by crustal movement. An aftershock is a smaller earthquake that follows the main one in the same area, as the crust settles. Aftershocks are therefore later, usually weaker, quakes triggered by the original earthquake.