Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A scale of earthquake intensity based on observed effects and ranging from I (detectable only with instruments) to XII (causing almost total destruction).
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a scale formerly used to describe the magnitude of an earthquake; an earthquake detected only by seismographs is a I and an earthquake that destroys all buildings is a XII
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[After Giuseppi Mercalli, (1850–1914), Italian seismologist.]
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