Words / B2

AV-uh-lahnsh/ˈævəlɑːnʃ/

An avalanche is a large mass of snow, ice, and rock falling down a mountainside: an avalanche path; avalanche risk. It is also a sudden huge amount: an avalanche of complaints. Landslide is of soil and rock; blizzard is heavy snow in air. Map the avalanche path on the OS extract, then the volume if given. Mix-up: avalanche vs advance; lava; do not write avalanche for a light dusting of snow in the weather log.

Meaning

A large mass of snow, ice, and rock falling down a mountainside; also a sudden huge amount (an avalanche of).

Examples

• “Map the avalanche path on the OS extract, then the volume if given, not a ski slogan.”
• “An avalanche of complaints featured in the minutes, which is the figurative-flood sense — still quote the n of letters.”

Good to know

an avalanche; avalanche path / risk / snow; an avalanche of + noun. Close: landslide / snowslide. Trap: a light snowfall / lava. Geography and news. A fall of snow and rock, or a sudden flood of things — map the path or quote the n.

Near in meaning

snowslide, landslide, fall

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