avalanche
English meaning: Avalanche
Definition
A large mass or body of snow and ice sliding swiftly down a mountain side, or falling down a precipice.
Example
“The skiers were warned that an avalanche could be triggered on the steep slope.”
Another example: “After the announcement, the office faced an avalanche of phone calls.”
Usage — When, Where & How
A noun for a mass of snow and ice sliding down a mountain, and figuratively for an overwhelming flood of something ('an avalanche of complaints'). Common in mountaineering, news and metaphor. Also a verb ('the snow avalanched').
Etymology & Origin
English — Origin & History
From French (Alpine dialect) 'avalanche', influenced by 'avaler' (to descend), from Latin 'ad vallem' (to the valley); in English from the 18th century.
Synonyms
- snowslide
- landslide
- cascade
- deluge
Related Words
- diode
- backcountry
- salerno
- lockout
- nhl
- coyotes
- nuggets
- transistor
- everest
- pepsi
Common Collocations
- avalanche warning
- triggered an avalanche
- avalanche of
- deadly avalanche
- buried by an avalanche
- avalanche risk
Word Forms
avalanche (n & v); avalanches (pl); avalanched; avalanching
Word Tools
Tools & Calculators
Literary Heritage
“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”
/To thine own self be true/
“Be honest with yourself — and as naturally as night follows day, you will be unable to be false to others.”
“I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?”
/I'm nobody! Who are you?/
“I am nobody — and that quiet anonymity is more honest than the noise of public fame.”
Images
CC-licensed · free to useVideo
Language information
- Language
- English
- English
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Indo-European
- Speakers
- 1.5B