Earthquake

Pronunciation: /ˈərθˌkweɪk/

Definitions of earthquake

noun a sudden and violent shaking of the ground, typically causing great destruction, as a result of movements within the earth's crust

Example Sentences

A1 An earthquake is a natural disaster that can cause buildings to shake.

A2 During the earthquake, people ran out of their houses to safety.

B1 The earthquake measured 6.5 on the Richter scale, causing widespread damage.

B2 After the earthquake, relief efforts were quickly mobilized to help those affected.

C1 Seismologists study the patterns of earthquakes to better understand their causes.

C2 The earthquake early warning system gave residents valuable time to evacuate before the tremors hit.

Examples of earthquake in a Sentence

formal The earthquake measured 6.5 on the Richter scale, causing significant damage to buildings in the area.

informal Did you feel that earthquake last night? It shook the whole house!

slang That earthquake was no joke, it had me shaking in my boots!

figurative Her sudden outburst at the meeting was like an emotional earthquake, leaving everyone stunned.

Grammatical Forms of earthquake

• past tense: earthquaked
• plural: earthquakes
• comparative: more earthquake
• superlative: most earthquake
• present tense: earthquake
• future tense: will earthquake
• perfect tense: have earthquaked
• continuous tense: is earthquaking
• singular: earthquake
• positive degree: earthquake
• infinitive: to earthquake
• gerund: earthquaking
• participle: earthquaked

Origin and Evolution of earthquake

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old English

Story behind the word: The word 'earthquake' originated from the combination of the Old English words 'eorthe' meaning earth and 'quake' meaning to shake or tremble.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'earthquake' has retained its original meaning of a shaking or trembling of the earth caused by a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust.