a primitive method of determining a person's guilt or innocence by subjecting the accused person to dangerous or painful tests believed to be under divine control; escape was usually taken as a sign of innocence
a cataclysm resulting from a destructive sea wave caused by an earthquake or volcanic eruption; "a colossal tsunami destroyed the Minoan civilization in minutes"
the erosive process of washing away soil or gravel by water (as from a roadway); "from the house they watched the washout of their newly seeded lawn by the water"
the channel or break produced by erosion of relatively soft soil by water; "it was several days after the storm before they could repair the washout and open the road"
a wave resulting from the periodic flow of the tides that is caused by the gravitational attraction of the moon and sun
an unusual (and often destructive) rise of water along the seashore caused by a storm or a combination of wind and high tide
an overwhelming manifestation of some emotion or phenomenon; "a tidal wave of nausea"; "the flood of letters hit him with the force of a tidal wave"; "a tidal wave of crime"
a conflict of opposed ideas or attitudes or goals; "a collision of interests"
an accident resulting from violent impact of a moving object; "three passengers were killed in the collision"; "the collision of the two ships resulted in a serious oil spill"
(physics) an brief event in which two or more bodies come together; "the collision of the particles resulted in an exchange of energy and a change of direction"