Definition of "tsunami" []

• A very large ocean wave caused by an underwater earthquake or volcanic eruption. (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.

• "The term tsunami comes from two Japanese words that mean "harbor" and "wave.""
• "The word tsunami is Japanese for harbor wave, and many times the worst physical damage comes once the waves enter the confines of a harbor, said Costas Synolakis, professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of the Tsunami Research Center at the University of Southern California."
• "The question I find myself asking is: If the word tsunami originates from the Japanese language because earthquakes are a frequent event there why would anyone in their right mind build a nuclear reactor right on top of a fault line?"