avalanche — A mass of snow, ice, and rocks falling rapidly down a mountainside
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: A mass of snow, ice, and rocks falling rapidly down a mountainside
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈævəlæntʃ/
Example Sentences
- My phone died right before an avalanche of birthday messages was supposed to arrive at midnight.
- The rescue team used special equipment to locate people buried in the avalanche.
- When the celebrity posted a single photo, there was an avalanche of likes within minutes.
avalanche
NOUN[/ˈævəlæntʃ/]
A mass of snow, ice, and rocks falling rapidly down a mountainside
A massive avalanche thunders down the alpine slope, swallowing trees in seconds.
When avalanche hits the ranch, grab tight to every branch!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from a French Alpine dialect term meaning 'a falling or rolling down from a mountain.' It entered English in the 17th century through contact with French-speaking Alpine regions, originally describing the natural phenomenon of large masses of snow and rock cascading down mountainsides.
Breakdown
The French Alpine dialect form lavanche evolved into English avalanche through a process of reanalysis, where the initial 'l' was reinterpreted as part of the article, resulting in the modern form. The root likely relates to Old French avaler (to descend), from a- (to) + val (valley).
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My phone died right before an avalanche of birthday messages was supposed to arrive at midnight.”
“The rescue team used special equipment to locate people buried in the avalanche.”
“When the celebrity posted a single photo, there was an avalanche of likes within minutes.”
“My mom's attempt to organize my room triggered an avalanche of old homework papers.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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