Dictionary

quicksand en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈkwɪkˌsænd/ (General-American)
• (Southern-England) audio
• (General-American) audio

Etymology

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.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) Wet sand that appears firm but in which things readily sink, often found near rivers or coasts.
   • My feet were firmly lodged in the quicksand, and the more I struggled the more I sank into it.
2. (countable, figuratively, uncountable) Anything that metaphorically pulls one down or buries one; a treacherous, risky danger
   • the quicksands of youth

Forms

Deriveds

quicksandy · quicksandlike

Relateds

build on sand

Synonyms

syrtis · syrt

Translations (62)

pl kurzawka (type of sand) · is sandbleyta (type of sand) · nl drijfzand (type of sand) · ru зыбун (type of sand) · ang cwecesand (type of sand) · hu futóhomok (type of sand) · pl ruchome piaski (type of sand) · ru зыбучий песок (type of sand) · ca sorramoll (type of sand) · ga gaineamh beo (type of sand) · ru зыбу́чие пески́ (type of sand) · gl areas movedizas (type of sand) · cs tekutý písek (type of sand) · nrf mouoilliéthe (type of sand) · id pasir isap (type of sand) · ja 流砂 (type of sand) · mi ōi (type of sand) · ko 유사 (type of sand) · de Treibsand (type of sand) · ar رِمَال مُتَحَرِّكَة (type of sand) · bn চোরাবালি (type of sand) · ga gaineamh súraic (type of sand) · sh živi pijesak (type of sand) · ca sorra movedissa (type of sand) · ms pasir jerlus (type of sand) · fi juoksuhiekka (type of sand) · ka ფხვიერი მიწა (type of sand) · cy traeth byw (type of sand) · pdt Sauntloch (type of sand) · el κινούμενη άμμος (type of sand) · da kviksand (type of sand) · vi cát lún (type of sand) · nn kvikksand (type of sand) · ang sandġeweorp (type of sand) · ca arenes movents (type of sand) · is kviksandur (type of sand) · hu föveny (type of sand) · fa ماسه بادی (type of sand) · pt areia movediça (type of sand) · cy traeth gwyllt (type of sand) · is kviksyndi (type of sand) · ga gaineamh reatha (type of sand) · it sabbie mobili (type of sand) · eo movsablo (type of sand) · sv kvicksand (type of sand) · es arenas movedizas (type of sand) · nb kvikksand (type of sand) · ota باتاق (type of sand) · nn kviksand (type of sand) · ang sandrid (type of sand) · hu süppedő, mocsaras talaj (type of sand) · et vesiliiv (type of sand) · tl kuminoy (type of sand) · bg подвижен пясък (type of sand) · mk жив песок (type of sand) · cmn 流沙 (type of sand) · ka მცურავი ქვიშა (type of sand) · fr sables mouvants (type of sand) · te దొంగయిసుక (type of sand) · eo flusablo (type of sand) · ca arenes movedisses (type of sand) · th ทรายดูด (type of sand)