AVALANCHE Definition & Meaning

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avalanche

[ av-uh-lanch, -lahnch ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a large mass of snow, ice, etc., detached from a mountain slope and sliding or falling suddenly downward.
anything like an avalanche in suddenness and overwhelming quantity:
an avalanche of misfortunes; an avalanche of fan mail.
Also called Townsend avalanche. Physics, Chemistry. a cumulative ionization process in which the ions and electrons of one generation undergo collisions that produce a greater number of ions and electrons in succeeding generations.

verb (used without object)

avalanched, avalanching.

to come down in, or like, an avalanche.

verb (used with object)

avalanched, avalanching.

to overwhelm with an extremely large amount of anything; swamp.

avalanche

/ ˈæ��əˌ��ɑː�Գ�ʃ /

noun

1. a fall of large masses of snow and ice down a mountain
2. a fall of rocks, sand, etc
a sudden or overwhelming appearance of a large quantity of things
an avalanche of letters
physics a group of ions or electrons produced by a single ion or electron as a result of a collision with some other form of matter

verb

to come down overwhelmingly (upon)

avalanche

/ ă��′ə-��ă�Գ��′ /

The sudden fall or slide of a large mass of material down the side of a mountain. Avalanches may contain snow, ice, rock, soil, or a mixture of these materials. Avalanches can be triggered by changes in temperature, by sound vibrations, or by vibrations in the earth itself.
A process resulting in the production of large numbers of ionized particles, in which electrons or ions collide with molecules, with each collision itself producing an additional electron or ion that in turn collides with other molecules. Avalanches are what generate the pulses of electric current that are registered by Geiger counters.

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of avalanche¹

1755–65; < French < dial. (Savoy) avalantse, alteration (by association with avaler to descend rapidly) of laventse < pre-Latin (perhaps Ligurian) *lavanca, or reshaping of Late Latin ��ī�Բ� landslide (derivative of Latin ��ī to slide) with a pre-Latin suffix -anca

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of avalanche¹

C18: from French, by mistaken division from la valanche, from valanche, from (northwestern Alps) dialect lavantse; related to Old Provençal lavanca, of obscure origin

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

In the first episode, when he cracks a murder case by distilling it into a logic puzzle, he batters his audience into submission with an avalanche of nerdy terms.

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“This might not only spell trouble for OpenAI, but it also might result in an avalanche of unintended consequences,” said Elan.

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Three men are feared dead after being hit by a massive avalanche while on a backcountry heli-skiing trip in the US state of Alaska, say officials.

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Most of the labourers, who were working on a highway expansion project, were able to "withstand the wrecking avalanche" because of the containers, rescuers told The Indian Express newspaper.

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At least four people have died and several others are missing after an avalanche hit the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, authorities have said.

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