earthquake/ˈɜːθkweɪk/EtymologyFrom Middle English erthequake, corresponding to earth + quake. Displaced Middle English eorð byfung (“earthquake”) from Old English eorþbeofung (literally “earth shaking”).earthquake means A shaking of the ground, caused by volcanic activity or movement around geologic faults. Lexicurio rates it Distinctive — a strength score of 66 out of 100.nounA shaking of the ground, caused by volcanic activity or movement around geologic faults.“Her alablaster brest she soft did kis, / Which all that while shee felt to pant and quake, / As it an Earth-quake were: at last she thus bespake.”Such a quake specifically occurring on the planet Earth, as opposed to other celestial bodies.“Since the response of some man-made structures to the ground motion near the epicenter is highly dependent on frequency, a significant difference in potential damage to the structures is expected between earthquakes and moonquakes.”A sudden and intense upheaval; a severely disruptive event.“As we have seen, economic earthquakes often result in political shockwaves. […] He highlights a correlation between those states with the highest robot density and those states that unexpectedly swung behind Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election, namely Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.”verbTo undergo an earthquake.“Watch the Philippines very closely for the next little while. There is rumbling and earthquaking deep within Pinatubo and increased earthquaking within Mayon.”