Aftershock
/ˈæf.tər.ʃɑːk/noun
A smaller earthquake that follows the main shock of a larger quake.
Did you know?"Aftershock" is a transparent English compound from Old English roots, but the terrifying idea behind it is ancient: the ground itself was once imagined as a living, reactive force that could strike again.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
æfter
“after, behind, later”
Old English
OE
sceocca / sceacan
“to shake, move violently”
Middle English
ME
after shok / after-shok
“a later shaking; a second tremor”
19th Century
English
aftershock
“a secondary earthquake following the main shock”
Modern English
English
aftershock
“a smaller quake that follows a larger one”