Definition of "tidal wave" []

• The swell or crest of surface ocean water created by the tides. (noun)
• An unusual, often destructive rise of water along the seashore, as from a storm or a combination of wind and high tide. (noun)
• A tsunami. (noun)
• An overwhelming manifestation; a flood: a tidal wave of illicit drugs; an emotional tidal wave. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Dortmunder went to bed early and lay awake awhile, thinking about water: dirty dark water all around his own personal head, or billions of gallons of water crashing in a tidal wave into Dudson Falls and Dudson Center and East Dudson."
• "The oath resembled a wavelet far out to sea; a few took it at once, and having taken it, persuaded others to do so, until it became a tidal wave of swearing."
• "I race inside and tear my pants down as a tidal wave of water rushes out of me in loud, gushing gasps and wallops that sound like a car crash."