| 释义 |
tsunami|tsuːˈnɑːmɪ|
Also (repr. a strict transliteration of the Jap. form) tunami.
[a. Jap. tsunami, tunami, f. tsu harbour + nami waves.]
A brief series of long, high undulations on the surface of the sea caused by an earthquake or similar underwater disturbance. These travel at great speed and often with sufficient force to inundate the land; freq. misnamed a tidal wave (see tidal a. 1 b). Also fig. and attrib.
1897L. Hearn Gleanings in Buddha-Fields i. 24 ‘Tsunami!’ shrieked the people; and then all shrieks and all sounds and all power to hear sounds were annihilated by a nameless shock..as the colossal swell smote the shore with a weight that sent a shudder through the hills. 1904Publ. Earthquake Investigation Comm. Foreign Lang. (Japan) xix. 6 Records and reports of earthquakes and ‘tsunamis’. 1938Nature 12 Nov. 881/2 The authenticity of the reports of earthquakes mentioned in these catalogues is weighed..with records of tunamis. 1956Jrnl. Earth Sci. Nagoya Univ. IV. 2 The tunamis associated with strong earthquakes are frequent in Japan. 1967Technology Week 23 Jan. 34/1 This system would predict..tsunami run-up floods. 1970Daily Tel. 27 Nov. 11/7 A tsunami generated off Chile by the 1960 earthquake crashed into Japan on the other side at 400 m.p.h. 1972Science 11 Aug. 502/1 The Food and Drug Administration..is currently swimming through a tsunami of comments generated by its announced intention to alter the regulations concerning the dispensation of methadone. 1981Monitor (McAllen, Texas) 30 Jan. 3a/3 The National Weather Service..issued a tsunami warning. 1984W. Golding Paper Men viii. 89 It seemed to me that I could feel the indifferent threat of the earth through the soles of my feet, the volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, terrors of nature's fact. |