Link Centre Dictionary

quicksand

quick·sand

US/ˈkwɪkˌsænd/ uncommon

noun

1.

a treacherous situation that tends to entrap and destroy

2.

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

Origin

From Middle English quyksande, from Old English cwecesand (“quicksand”), equivalent to quick (“living”) + sand. Cognate with Swedish kvicksand (“quicksand”), Icelandic kviksandur, kviksyndi (“quicksand”). More at quick, sand.

Phrases

  • build on sand

Related words

Broader terms

Part of

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.