Earthquake

7 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  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]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Earthquake \Earth"quake`\, a.
     Like, or characteristic of, an earthquake; loud; startling.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           The earthquake voice of victory.         --Byron.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  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: {quake}, {temblor}, {seism}]
       2: a disturbance that is extremely disruptive; "selling the
          company caused an earthquake among the employees"

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  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
  
  

From Jargon File (4.3.1, 29 Jun 2001) [jargon]:

  earthquake n. [IBM] The ultimate real-world shock test for computer
     hardware. Hackish sources at IBM deny the rumor that the Bay Area quake
     of 1989 was initiated by the company to test quality-assurance
     procedures at its California plants.
  
  

From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:

  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)
       
       

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  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).