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Synonyms

flash flood

American  

noun

  1. a sudden and destructive rush of water down a narrow gully or over a sloping surface, caused by heavy rainfall.

flash flood British  

noun

  1. a sudden short-lived torrent, usually caused by a heavy storm, esp in desert regions

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
flash flood Scientific  
/ flăsh /

  1. A sudden, localized flood of great volume and short duration, typically caused by unusually heavy rain in a semiarid area. Flash floods can reach their peak volume in a matter of a few minutes and often carry large loads of mud and rock fragments.

Related Words

See flood.

Etymology

Origin of flash flood

First recorded in 1935–40

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.