1.
[syn: earthquake, quake, temblor, seism]
2. a disturbance that is extremely disruptive;
- Example: "selling the company caused an earthquake among the employees"
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Earthquake \Earth"quake`\, n.
A shaking, trembling, or concussion of the earth, due to
subterranean causes, often accompanied by a rumbling noise.
The wave of shock sometimes traverses half a hemisphere,
destroying cities and many thousand lives; -- called also
earthdin, earthquave, and earthshock.
[1913 Webster]
Earthquake alarm, a bell signal constructed to operate on
the theory that a few seconds before the occurrence of an
earthquake the magnet temporarily loses its power.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Earthquake \Earth"quake`\, a.
Like, or characteristic of, an earthquake; loud; startling.
[1913 Webster]
The earthquake voice of victory. --Byron.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
earthquake
n 1: shaking and vibration at the surface of the earth resulting
from underground movement along a fault plane of from
volcanic activity [syn: earthquake, quake, temblor,
seism]
2: a disturbance that is extremely disruptive; "selling the
company caused an earthquake among the employees"
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
21 Moby Thesaurus words for "earthquake":
apoplexy, breakup, cataclysm, climax, convulsion, diastrophism,
disaster, fit, overthrow, paroxysm, quake, quaker, shake, shock,
spasm, stroke, temblor, tidal wave, tremor, tsunami, upheaval
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (30 December 2018):
earthquake
(IBM) The ultimate real-world shock test for computer
hardware. Hackish sources at IBM deny the rumor that the
San Francisco Bay Area quake of 1989 was initiated by the
company to test quality-assurance procedures at its California
plants.
[Jargon File]
(1995-04-22)
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary:
Earthquake
mentioned among the extraordinary phenomena of Palestine (Ps.
18:7; comp. Hab. 3:6; Nah. 1:5; Isa. 5:25).
The first earthquake in Palestine of which we have any record
happened in the reign of Ahab (1 Kings 19:11, 12). Another took
place in the days of Uzziah, King of Judah (Zech. 14:5). The
most memorable earthquake taking place in New Testament times
happened at the crucifixion of our Lord (Matt. 27:54). An
earthquake at Philippi shook the prison in which Paul and Silas
were imprisoned (Act 16:26).
It is used figuratively as a token of the presence of the Lord
(Judg. 5:4; 2 Sam. 22:8; Ps. 77:18; 97:4; 104:32).