quicksand

enUK

quick·sand

Q0029800 (kwĭk′sănd′)n.1. Sand that is mixed with water in a collected mass and yields easily to pressure so that objects on its surface tend to sink and become engulfed.2. often quicksands A place or situation into which entry can be swift and sudden but from which extrication can be difficult or impossible: "This theory of the future entrapped [them] in the quicksands of Vietnam" (Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.).

[Middle English quyksond, living sand : quick, quyk, living; see quick + sand, sond, sand; see sand.]

quicksand

(ˈkwɪkˌsænd) n (Physical Geography) a deep mass of loose wet sand that submerges anything on top of it

quick•sand

(ˈkwɪkˌsænd)

n. a bed of soft or loose sand saturated with water and having considerable depth, yielding under weight and therefore tending to cause an object resting on its surface to sink. [1275–1325] quick′sand′y, adj.

quick·sand

(kwĭk′sănd′) A deep bed of loose sand mixed with water, forming a soft, shifting mass that yields easily to pressure and tends to swallow objects resting on its surface.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	quicksand - a treacherous situation that tends to entrap and destroysituation - a complex or critical or unusual difficulty; "the dangerous situation developed suddenly"; "that's quite a situation"; "no human situation is simple"
	2.	quicksand - a pit filled with loose wet sand into which objects are sucked downcavity, pit - a sizeable hole (usually in the ground); "they dug a pit to bury the body"sand - a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral

Translations

Quicksand

enUK

quicksand

a deep mass of loose wet sand that submerges anything on top of it

Quicksand

sand saturated with water from anabatic sources and capable, consequently, of sucking down objects, animals, and humans falling into it. There are many kinds of quicksand, but all types lack an admixture of silt. Owing to the thin film of water enveloping the grains of sand, adhesion between them is sharply reduced, and quicksand behaves almost like a liquid: submersion of a foreign body continues until the weight of the sand displaced by it is equal to the weight of the body itself. Quicksand is generally confined to the shores of seas, lakes, and rivers (where anabatic sources are usually found), but may occur far from shores in both plains and mountains.

Quicksand

water-saturated earth that is able to flow and shift.

Quicksand may be loose or fairly loose sandy loam, finegrained and powdery loose sand, or soil containing colloidal particles less than 0.001 mm in size that act as a lubricant. Quicksand containing colloidal particles is termed true quicksand, according to the classification of the Soviet scientist A. F. Lebedev (1935). The properties of false quicksand, on the other hand, are manifested only under considerable hydrodynamic pressure of the water filtering through it. True quicksand expands greatly when frozen, has low filterability, and becomes cohesive when it dries; microorganisms play a major role in its formation.

Quicksand is controlled by drainage. True quicksand is slow to yield water and therefore vacuuming and electrical drainage are used in draining it. For draining false quicksands, needle filters and tubular wells are used. A soil’s “quick” condition becomes revealed under dynamic stress and with the development of hydrodynamic pressure in the water saturating the soil. The properties of quicksand are taken into consideration in construction and mining projects that make use of shields and caissons and the method of freezing the soil.

M. V. MALYSHEV

What does it mean when you dream about quicksand?

Quicksand may symbolize losing one’s footing and sinking into the quicksand of one’s emotions or the unconscious. Dreaming about being in quicksand may reflect circumstances in the business or personal life of the dreamer that are beyond the dreamer’s control.

quicksand

[′kwik‚sand] (geology) A highly mobile mass of fine sand consisting of smooth, rounded grains with little tendency to mutual adherence, usually thoroughly saturated with upward-flowing water; tends to yield under pressure and to readily swallow heavy objects on the surface. Also known as running sand. (materials) A loose sand mixture with a high proportion of water, thus having a low bearing pressure.

quicksand

Fine sand, sometimes with an admixture of clay, which is saturated with water so that it has no bearing capacity at its surface; fine sand in a quick condition.

Quicksand

(dreams)You may be experiencing feelings of helplessness and an inability to get out of a situation in your daily life. This common sense approach can easily be applied and with some effort you can examine your feelings and actions symbolized in this dream.

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What does it mean when you dream about quicksand?

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Words related to quicksand

noun a treacherous situation that tends to entrap and destroy

Related Words

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

Related Words