mudslide
English meaning: Mudslide
Definition
A geological event in which viscous mud flows down an incline.
Example
“Torrential rains triggered a mudslide that blocked the highway.”
Another example: “The hillside gave way, and a mudslide swept three houses into the valley.”
Usage — When, Where & How
A noun for a fast flow of mud down a slope, often triggered by heavy rain (a type of landslide). Used in news and geology, especially regarding flooding and storm damage. Neutral register.
Etymology & Origin
English — Origin & History
A compound of 'mud' (Middle English 'mudde') and 'slide' (Old English 'slidan'); a transparent 20th-century formation.
Synonyms
- landslide
- mudflow
- landslip
- debris flow
Related Words
Common Collocations
- deadly mudslide
- triggered a mudslide
- mudslide buried
- massive mudslide
- mudslide warning
- mudslide swept
Word Forms
mudslide (n); mudslides (pl)
Word Tools
Literary Heritage
“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”
/To thine own self be true/
“Be honest with yourself — and as naturally as night follows day, you will be unable to be false to others.”
“I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?”
/I'm nobody! Who are you?/
“I am nobody — and that quiet anonymity is more honest than the noise of public fame.”
Images
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Language information
- Language
- English
- English
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Indo-European
- Speakers
- 1.5B