avalanche
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Related to Rock avalanche: Debris avalanche
av·a·lanche
(ăv′ə-lănch′)n.
1. A fall or slide of a large mass of material, especially of snow, down a mountainside.
2. A massive or overwhelming amount; a flood: received an avalanche of mail.
v. av·a·lanched, av·a·lanch·ing, av·a·lanch·es
v.intr.
To fall or slide in a massive or overwhelming amount.
v.tr.
To overwhelm; inundate.
[French; akin to Provençal lavanca, ravine, perhaps ultimately from Latin lābī, to slip.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
avalanche
(ˈævəˌlɑːntʃ)n
1. (Physical Geography)
a. a fall of large masses of snow and ice down a mountain
b. a fall of rocks, sand, etc
2. a sudden or overwhelming appearance of a large quantity of things: an avalanche of letters.
3. (General Physics) 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
vb
to come down overwhelmingly (upon)
[C18: from French, by mistaken division from la valanche, from valanche, from (northwestern Alps) dialect lavantse; related to Old Provençal lavanca, of obscure origin]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
av•a•lanche
(ˈæv əˌlæntʃ, -ˌlɑntʃ)n., v. -lanched, -lanch•ing. n.
1. a mass of snow, ice, etc., detached from a mountain slope and sliding or falling suddenly downward.
2. anything like an avalanche in suddenness and overwhelming quantity: an avalanche of mail.
3. 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.
v.i. 4. to come down in or like an avalanche.
v.t. 5. to overwhelm with a large amount of anything.
[1755–65; < French < dial. (Savoy) avalantse]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
av·a·lanche
(ăv′ə-lănch′) The fall or slide of a large mass, as of snow or rock, down the side of a mountain.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
avalanche
Past participle: avalanched
Gerund: avalanching
| Imperative |
|---|
| avalanche |
| avalanche |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
avalanche
A great mass of snow that suddenly slides down a slope.
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  avalanche - a slide of large masses of snow and ice and mud down a mountainslide - (geology) the descent of a large mass of earth or rocks or snow etc. lahar - an avalanche of volcanic water and mud down the slopes of a volcano |
| 2. | avalanche - a sudden appearance of an overwhelming number of things; "the program brought an avalanche of mail" | |
| Verb | 1. |  avalanche - gather into a huge mass and roll down a mountain, of snow |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
avalanche
noun
1. snow-slide, landslide, landslip, snow-slip Four people died when an avalanched buried them alive last week.
2. large amount, barrage, torrent, deluge, inundation He was greeted with an avalanche of publicity.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
إنْهِيار ثَلْجياِنْهِيار ثَلْجِيّ
lavina
lavinesneskred
lumivyöry
lavina
lavina
snjóflóî
なだれ
사태
griūtislavina
lavīna
lavína
lavin
หิมะถล่ม
sự lở tuyết
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
avalanche
n (lit, fig) → Lawine f
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
avalanche
(ˈӕvəlaːnʃ) noun a fall of snow and ice down a mountain. Two skiers were buried by the avalanche.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
avalanche
→ اِنْهِيار ثَلْجِيّ lavina lavine Lawine χιονοστιβάδα avalancha lumivyöry avalanche lavina valanga なだれ 사태 lawine snøskred lawina avalanche лавина lavin หิมะถล่ม çığ sự lở tuyết 雪崩Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009