seiche

[ seysh ]

noun

1. an occasional and sudden oscillation of the water of a lake, bay, estuary, etc., producing fluctuations in the water level and caused by wind, earthquakes, changes in barometric pressure, etc.

seiche

/ seɪʃ /

noun

1. a periodic oscillation of the surface of an enclosed or semienclosed body of water (lake, inland sea, bay, etc) caused by such phenomena as atmospheric pressure changes, winds, tidal currents, and earthquakes

seiche

/ sāsh,sēch /

1. An oscillating wave in an enclosed body of water. A seiche may have a period from a few minutes to a few hours and is usually a result of seismic or atmospheric disturbances.

Word History and Origins

Origin of seiche¹

Borrowed into English from Franco-Provençal around 1830–40

Word History and Origins

Origin of seiche¹

C19: from Swiss French, first used to describe the rise and fall of water in Lake Geneva; of obscure origin

Example Sentences

Devils Hole is home to the endangered pupfish, a unique breed that can face short-term challenges following the geological phenomenon, technically called a seiche.

From Los Angeles Times

A seiche is a shift or oscillation of water levels on a closed lake, usually spurred by wind or air pressure differences.

From Washington Post

“The earthquake causes what’s called a seismic seiche, and it’s basically a sloshing of the water back and forth.”

From Los Angeles Times

This caused not a tsunami but what’s known as seiche waves, the back-and-forth sloshes sometimes seen in miniature in a bathtub.

From Washington Post

It is a type of surge termed a seiche.

From BBC

Related Words

• tsunami