Landsides

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The masses of earth or rock that move down a slope due to gravity, often causing destruction in their path
2. Any sudden collapse or sliding of material down a slope that can result in significant geological changes
3. A phenomenon where soil, rock, and debris become unstable and descend down an incline, impacting the surrounding area

Etymology: "Landsides" is simply the plural of "landside," so it covers more than one such event. The noun is formed from two plain English parts. "Land" comes from Old English "land," which traces back through Proto-Germanic to a Proto-Indo-European root, and "side" comes from Old English "side," with its own ancient ancestry. Put together, the compound describes material giving way on the side of a slope, as ground slides down. The plural form is the only inflection here, and it simply counts separate collapses. Because "landside" is a transparent compound, its meaning follows directly from the parts: the land itself moving sideways or downward. Nothing about the word's construction hides a surprise, so its history is best understood as an ordinary English compound built from long-established native words.

Synonyms: avalanches, landslides