serac

noun

se·​rac sə-ˈrak How to pronounce serac (audio)
sā-
: a pinnacle, sharp ridge, or block of ice among the crevasses of a glacier

Examples of serac in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In 2014, 16 Sherpas perished when a serac fell from the ridge and crashed onto a team fixing ladders across a crevasse. Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 12 Apr. 2023 The slide was triggered when a massive ice serac located on the ridg above the glacier collapsed—falling debris tumbled down and swept the men into a crevasse, Everest Chronicle reported. Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 12 Apr. 2023 Last week, three Nepali sherpa climbers died after being hit by an ice serac on the lower parts of Mount Everest. Nepal has eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains. Reuters, CNN, 18 Apr. 2023 Bookman’s lawsuit never mentioned the serac. Frederick Reimers, Outside Online, 30 Dec. 2021 The serac routinely sheds enormous blocks of ice. New York Times, 19 Jan. 2021 The downfall of a serac, just above Manaslu Base Camp. Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 26 Sep. 2022 The detached section is know as a serac, or pinnacle of ice. Frances D'emilio, Anchorage Daily News, 3 July 2022 On September 21, Madison’s workers noticed a serac hanging nearly 3,000 feet over the Icefall. Frederick Reimers, Outside Online, 11 Oct. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'serac.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French sérac, literally, a kind of white cheese, from Medieval Latin seracium whey, from Latin serum whey — more at serum

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of serac was in 1860

Dictionary Entries Near serac

Cite this Entry

“Serac.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serac. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on serac

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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