foreshock

[ fawr-shok, fohr- ]

nounGeology.
  1. a relatively small earthquake that precedes a greater one by a few days or weeks and originates at or near the focus of the larger earthquake.

Origin of foreshock

1
First recorded in 1900–05; fore- + shock1

Words Nearby foreshock

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How to use foreshock in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for foreshock

foreshock

/ (ˈfɔːˌʃɒk) /


noun
  1. a relatively small earthquake heralding the arrival of a much larger one. Some large earthquakes are preceded by a series of foreshocks: Compare aftershock

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