landslide

[ land-slahyd ]

noun

1. the downward falling or sliding of a mass of soil, detritus, or rock on or from a steep slope.
2. the mass itself.
3. an election in which a particular victorious candidate or party receives an overwhelming mass or majority of votes:

   the 1936 landslide for Roosevelt.

4. any overwhelming victory:

   She won the contest by a landslide.

verb (used without object)

, land·slid, land·slid or land·slid·den, land·slid·ing.

1. to come down in or as in a landslide.
2. to win an election by an overwhelming majority.

landslide

/ ˈlændˌslaɪd /

noun

1. Also calledlandslip
   1. the sliding of a large mass of rock material, soil, etc, down the side of a mountain or cliff
   2. the material dislodged in this way
2. 1. an overwhelming electoral victory
   2. ( as modifier )

      a landslide win

landslide

/ lănd′slīd′ /

1. The rapid downward sliding of a mass of earth and rock. Landslides usually move over a confined area. Many kinds of events can trigger a landslide, such as the oversteepening of slopes by erosion associated with rivers, glaciers, or ocean waves; heavy snowmelt which saturates soil and rock; or earthquakes that lead to the failure of weak slopes.
2. The mass of soil and rock that moves in this way.

Word History and Origins

Origin of landslide¹

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40; land + slide

Example Sentences

The former trade union activist served as Sir Tony Blair’s deputy for 10 years after Labour’s 1997 election landslide.

From BBC

Still, the initial conception of the election as a landslide in favor of Trump does not appear to be accurate.

From Salon

But for a group of physicists, these unique seeds -- and the way they bounce and roll down slopes -- could help them better understand landslides and avalanches, leading to research that could save lives.

From Science Daily

It dropped massive amounts of rain on areas of the Philippines, causing landslides.

From NewsForKids.net

Reagan went on to win reelection in a landslide.

From Salon

Related Words

• avalanche
• mudslide