mainshock

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noun

The largest earthquake in a sequence, sometimes preceded by foreshocks and almost always followed by aftershocks which are of lesser intensity.

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Meanings

nounmainshock (plural mainshocks)

plural mainshocks

  1. geographyThe largest earthquake in a sequence, sometimes preceded by foreshocks and almost always followed by aftershocks which are of lesser intensity.

Origin

From main + shock.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish pääjäristys
  • pääjäristysmaximum shock in earthquake
German Hauptbeben
  • Hauptbebenmaximum shock in earthquake
Japanese 本震
  • 本震 (honshin)maximum shock in earthquake
Cite this entry
APA

mainshock. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mainshock

MLA

“mainshock.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mainshock. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mainshock,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mainshock.

Source: mainshock on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.