tidal wave meaning and definition

TIDAL WAVE noun

Definition of tidal wave (noun)

1. 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"
2. an unusual (and often destructive) rise of water along the seashore caused by a storm or a combination of wind and high tide
3. a wave resulting from the periodic flow of the tides that is caused by the gravitational attraction of the moon and sun