avalanche
An avalanche is a big snowfall that slides or falls quickly down a mountain. This can happen when there's too much new snow and not enough old, packed-down snow to hold it.
When people talk about an avalanche, they often mean a sudden, massive movement of snow down a slope, usually caused by heavy fresh snow falling on top of existing snowpack that's weak or loose. Skiers, hikers, and climbers in mountainous regions are especially aware of this risk because even with proper precautions, it can be hard to predict when an avalanche will occur. In fact, many ski resorts have trained teams and safety measures in place to deal with the possibility of avalanches happening on their slopes.
How common is "avalanche"?
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.
noun
A large mass or body of snow and ice sliding swiftly down a mountain side, or falling down a precipice.
verb
To descend like an avalanche.
Real examples of "avalanche" in context
