tsunami

Sylvia S.
24 words 15 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. tsunami
    a cataclysm resulting from a destructive sea wave
    A tsunami (plural: tsunamis or tsunami; from Japanese: 津波, lit. "harbour wave";[1] English pronunciation: /suːˈnɑːmi/ soo-NAH-mee or /tsuːˈnɑːmi/ tsoo-NAH-mee[2]) is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, generally an ocean or a large lake.
  2. wave
    (physics) a movement up and down or back and forth
    A tsunami (plural: tsunamis or tsunami; from Japanese: 津波, lit. "harbour wave";[1] English pronunciation: /suːˈnɑːmi/ soo-NAH-mee or /tsuːˈnɑːmi/ tsoo-NAH-mee[2]) is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, generally an ocean or a large lake.
  3. volume
    the property of something that is great in magnitude
    A tsunami (plural: tsunamis or tsunami; from Japanese: 津波, lit. "harbour wave";[1] English pronunciation: /suːˈnɑːmi/ soo-NAH-mee or /tsuːˈnɑːmi/ tsoo-NAH-mee[2]) is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, generally an ocean or a large lake.
  4. earthquake
    vibration from underground movement along a fault plane
    Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions (including detonations of underwater nuclear devices), landslides, glacier calvings, meteorite impacts and other disturbances above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami.[3]
  5. eruption
    the sudden occurrence of a violent discharge
    Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions (including detonations of underwater nuclear devices), landslides, glacier calvings, meteorite impacts and other disturbances above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami.[3]
  6. include
    have as a part; be made up out of
    Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions (including detonations of underwater nuclear devices), landslides, glacier calvings, meteorite impacts and other disturbances above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami.[3]
  7. detonation
    the act of setting off an explosive
    Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions (including detonations of underwater nuclear devices), landslides, glacier calvings, meteorite impacts and other disturbances above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami.[3]
  8. devices
    an inclination or desire
    Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions (including detonations of underwater nuclear devices), landslides, glacier calvings, meteorite impacts and other disturbances above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami.[3]
  9. glacier
    a slowly moving mass of ice
    Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions (including detonations of underwater nuclear devices), landslides, glacier calvings, meteorite impacts and other disturbances above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami.[3]
  10. impact
    the striking of one body against another
    Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions (including detonations of underwater nuclear devices), landslides, glacier calvings, meteorite impacts and other disturbances above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami.[3]
  11. disturbance
    activity that is a malfunction, intrusion, or interruption
    Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions (including detonations of underwater nuclear devices), landslides, glacier calvings, meteorite impacts and other disturbances above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami.[3]
  12. potential
    existing in possibility
    Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions (including detonations of underwater nuclear devices), landslides, glacier calvings, meteorite impacts and other disturbances above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami.[3]
  13. generate
    bring into existence
    Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions (including detonations of underwater nuclear devices), landslides, glacier calvings, meteorite impacts and other disturbances above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami.[3]
  14. resemble
    be similar or bear a likeness to
    Tsunami waves do not resemble normal sea waves, because their wavelength is far longer.
  15. wavelength
    a way of thinking or coming to mutual understanding
    Tsunami waves do not resemble normal sea waves, because their wavelength is far longer.
  16. initially
    at the beginning
    Rather than appearing as a breaking wave, a tsunami may instead initially resemble a rapidly rising tide, and for this reason they are often referred to as tidal waves.
  17. tide
    the periodic rise and fall of the sea level
    Rather than appearing as a breaking wave, a tsunami may instead initially resemble a rapidly rising tide, and for this reason they are often referred to as tidal waves.
  18. period
    an amount of time
    Tsunamis generally consist of a series of waves with periods ranging from minutes to hours, arriving in a so-called "wave train".[4]
  19. ranging
    wandering freely
    Tsunamis generally consist of a series of waves with periods ranging from minutes to hours, arriving in a so-called "wave train".[4]
  20. affect
    have an influence upon
    Although the impact of tsunamis is limited to coastal areas, their destructive power can be enormous and they can affect entire ocean basins; the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was among the deadliest natural disasters in human history with over 230,000 people killed in 14 countries bordering the Indian Ocean.
  21. disaster
    an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
    Although the impact of tsunamis is limited to coastal areas, their destructive power can be enormous and they can affect entire ocean basins; the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was among the deadliest natural disasters in human history with over 230,000 people killed in 14 countries bordering the Indian Ocean.
  22. determine
    find out or learn with certainty, as by making an inquiry
    Major areas of current research include trying to determine why some large earthquakes do not generate tsunamis while other smaller ones do; trying to accurately forecast the passage of tsunamis across the oceans; and also to forecast how tsunami waves would interact with specific shorelines.
  23. forecast
    a prediction about how something will develop
    Major areas of current research include trying to determine why some large earthquakes do not generate tsunamis while other smaller ones do; trying to accurately forecast the passage of tsunamis across the oceans; and also to forecast how tsunami waves would interact with specific shorelines.
  24. shoreline
    a boundary line between land and water
    Major areas of current research include trying to determine why some large earthquakes do not generate tsunamis while other smaller ones do; trying to accurately forecast the passage of tsunamis across the oceans; and also to forecast how tsunami waves would interact with specific shorelines.
Created on Fri Jul 19 03:34:45 EDT 2013

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.