quicksand
KWIK-sand
Saturated sand that behaves as a liquid, losing its bearing strength when disturbed. Occurs where upwelling groundwater suspends the grains — river margins, tidal flats, desert seeps. The word names something everyone fears and almost no one has encountered, which is part of its power.
Etymology
Middle English quik (alive) + sand. The sand that moves, that seems alive underfoot.
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