rockfall

noun

rock·​fall ˈräk-ˌfȯl How to pronounce rockfall (audio)
: a mass of falling or fallen rocks

Examples of rockfall 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.
An increasing number of landslides and rockfalls in the Alps have been linked to melting permafrost. David Bressan, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025 Lambiel said scientists knew something was coming, thanks to increasingly frequent rockfalls from the mountain face onto the glacier. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR, 29 May 2025 Other hazards include Pele's hair -- strands of volcanic glass often produced by lava fountaining activity -- crater wall instability, ground cracking and rockfalls. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 20 June 2025 Additionally, certain areas along the trail have been identified as rockfall hazards. Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rockfall

Word History

First Known Use

1901, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rockfall was in 1901

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Cite this Entry

“Rockfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rockfall. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.

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