icefall

noun

ice·​fall ˈīs-ˌfȯl How to pronounce icefall (audio)
1
: a frozen waterfall
2
: the mass of usually jagged blocks into which a glacier may break when it moves down a steep declivity

Examples of icefall in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
British climber Daniel Paterson and his Nepali guide, Pas Tenji Sherpa, also remain missing after their expedition was hit on Tuesday by icefall on Everest's northern slope. Emma Ogao, ABC News, 23 May 2024 Palazzo Parigi also treats guests to one of the largest spas in Milan and boasts a stunning indoor swimming pool, a Finnish sauna, a hammam, a hot tub, and an icefall (the equivalent of an ice plunge). Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 9 May 2024 In 1981, 11 people died in an icefall during a climb guided in part by Peter. Alex Traub, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024 From a ladder to paradise, an icefall then turns into a deadly trap. Jacopo Pasotti, WIRED, 25 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for icefall 

Word History

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of icefall was in 1803

Dictionary Entries Near icefall

Cite this Entry

“Icefall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/icefall. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!