Definitions for quicksand
ˈkwɪkˌsændquick·sand

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. quicksandnoun

   a treacherous situation that tends to entrap and destroy

2. quicksandnoun

   a pit filled with loose wet sand into which objects are sucked down

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. quicksandnoun

   Wet sand that things readily sink in, often found near rivers or coasts

   My feet were firmly lodged in the quicksand, and the more I struggled the more I sank into it.

2. quicksandnoun

   Anything that pulls one down or buries one metaphorically

   The quicksands of youth...

3. Etymology: From quyksande, from cwecesand, from kwikwaz + samdaz, equivalent to. Cognate with kwikzand, Quicksand, kwiksandur, kviksyndi. More at quick, sand.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Quicksandnoun

   Moving sand; unsolid ground.

   Etymology: quick and sand.

   What is Edward, but a ruthless sea?
   What Clarence, but a quicksand of deceit? William Shakespeare.

   Undergirding the ship, and fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, they strake sail, and so were driven. Acts xxvii.

   But when the vessel is on quicksands cast,
   The flowing tide does more the sinking haste. Dryden.

   Trajan, by the adoption of Nerva, stems the tide to her relief, and like another Neptune shoves her off the quicksands. Joseph Addison, on Ancient Medals.

   I have marked out several of the shoals and quicksands of life, in order to keep the unwary from running upon them. Addison.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Quicksand

   Quicksand is a colloid consisting of fine granular material (such as sand, silt or clay) and water. It forms in saturated loose sand when the sand is suddenly agitated. When water in the sand cannot escape, it creates a liquefied soil that loses strength and cannot support weight. Quicksand can form in standing water or in upward flowing water (as from an artesian spring). In the case of upward flowing water, forces oppose the force of gravity and suspend the soil particles. The saturated sediment may appear quite solid until a sudden change in pressure or shock initiates liquefaction. This causes the sand to form a suspension and lose strength. The cushioning of water gives quicksand, and other liquefied sediments, a spongy, fluid-like texture. Objects in liquefied sand sink to the level at which the weight of the object is equal to the weight of the displaced soil/water mix and the submerged object floats due to its buoyancy. Soil liquefaction may occur in partially saturated soil when it is shaken by an earthquake or similar forces. The movement combined with an increase in pore pressure (of groundwater) leads to the loss of particle cohesion, causing buildings or other objects on that surface to sink.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. quicksand

   Quicksand is a natural phenomenon of a mixture of fine sand, clay, and salt water which appears solid but can behave like a liquid under stress or vibration. It is created when water saturates sandy or loose soil, causing it to lose its stability. This makes it a treacherous surface that can swallow heavy objects or individuals who step onto it, causing them to sink. However, contrary to popular myth, quicksand is not usually deep enough to completely swallow a person.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Quicksandnoun

   sand easily moved or readily yielding to pressure; especially, a deep mass of loose or moving sand mixed with water, sometimes found at the mouth of a river or along some coasts, and very dangerous, from the difficulty of extricating a person who begins sinking into it

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Quicksand

   Quicksand is a colloid hydrogel consisting of fine granular material, clay, and water. Quicksand forms in saturated loose sand when the sand is suddenly agitated. When water in the sand cannot escape, it creates a liquefied soil that loses strength and cannot support weight. Quicksand can form in standing water or in upwards flowing water. In the case of upwards flowing water, seepage forces oppose the force of gravity and suspend the soil particles. The saturated sediment may appear quite solid until a sudden change in pressure or shock initiates liquefaction. This causes the sand to form a suspension and lose strength. The cushioning of water gives quicksand, and other liquefied sediments, a spongy, fluidlike texture. Objects in liquefied sand sink to the level at which the weight of the object is equal to the weight of the displaced soil/water mix and the submerged object floats due to its buoyancy. Liquefaction is a special case of quicksand. In this case, sudden earthquake forces immediately increases the pore pressure of shallow groundwater. The saturated liquefied soil loses strength, causing buildings or other objects on that surface to sink or fall over.

The Nuttall EncyclopediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Quicksand

   sandbank so saturated with water that it gives way under pressure; found near the mouths of rivers.

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. quicksand

   Song lyrics by quicksand -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by quicksand on the Lyrics.com website.

Matched Categories

1. • Pit
   • Situation

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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How to pronounce quicksand?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say quicksand in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of quicksand in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of quicksand in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of quicksand in a Sentence

1. Susan Hough:

   If the sand is water-saturated, as I imagine it is in many places in India, it can start to behave like a liquid. Liquefaction has a couple of consequences for shaking : some of the potentially damaging shaking gets absorbed, which can be a good thing, but if the ground beneath a structure starts behaving like a liquid, the structure no longer has a solid foundation. It's like it's sitting on quicksand. Even a well-built building can just tip over.

2. Barry Schwartz:

   The only way to get out of this muck, out of this quicksand the market's in, is to have a few good days in a row.

3. George Sands:

   Vanity is the quicksand of reason.

4. Art Buchwald:

   I worship the quicksand he walks in.

5. Hannah More:

   Luxury! more perilous to youth than storms or quicksand, poverty or chains.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=quicksand
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Quicksand
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=quicksand
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quicksand
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quicksand
7. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=quicksand
8. ^ The Nuttall Encyclopedia
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/12342/pg12342-images.html#Quicksand
9. ^ Usage in printed sources
   https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=quicksand