avalanching
|av-a-lanch-ing|
🇺🇸
/ˈævəˌlæntʃɪŋ/
🇬🇧
/ˈævəˌlɑːntʃɪŋ/
(avalanche)
massive snow slide
Etymology
'avalanche' originates from French, specifically the word 'avalanche', influenced by Provençal 'avalenca', where 'aval' meant 'down' or 'below'.
'avalanche' changed from Provençal 'avalenca' into Old French/Modern French 'avalanche' and was borrowed into English in the 17th–18th century as 'avalanche'.
Initially, it referred specifically to a mass of snow or ice falling down a mountain; over time it broadened to mean any sudden, large, overwhelming quantity or rush, and developed a verb sense 'to avalanche' meaning 'to overwhelm'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
gerund/nominal use of 'avalanche': the process or event of a mass (typically snow, ice, or rock) falling or sliding rapidly down a slope
The avalanching of debris blocked the valley floor.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Verb 1
present-participle form of 'avalanche': to fall or rush down in large quantities (like snow, rock, or other material); to overwhelm suddenly and in large numbers or amount
Avalanching snow cut off the mountain road.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Idioms
Last updated: 2025/11/30 15:52