avalanche

1 of 2

noun

av·​a·​lanche ˈa-və-ˌlanch 

1

: a large mass of snow, ice, earth, rock, or other material in swift motion down a mountainside or over a precipice

2

: a sudden great or overwhelming rush or accumulation of something

hit by an avalanche of paperwork

3

physics : a cumulative process in which photons or accelerated charge carriers produce additional photons or charge carriers through collisions (as with gas molecules)

avalanche

2 of 2

verb

avalanched; avalanching

intransitive verb

: to descend in an avalanche

Snow avalanched down the mountain.

transitive verb

: overwhelm, flood

The office was avalanched with applications.

Examples of avalanche in a Sentence

Noun

He was buried by an avalanche.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches. —Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 5 Jan. 2026

In other mountain areas where snowfall totals are closer to 4 to 8 inches, avalanche danger remains moderate (2 out of 5). —Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 2 Jan. 2026

Verb

Celebrities have avalanched their way back to America’s most famous ski area, swathed in their fuzzy coats and après ski chic looks. —Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 2 Jan. 2026

Ski patrollers perform a variety of functions on the mountain, from assisting skiers who need medical help to avalanche mitigation and maintenance and more. —Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 2 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

French, from French dialect (Franco-Provençal) lavantse, avalantse

First Known Use

Noun

1744, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1826, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for avalanche

• blanch
• branch
• cranch
• ranch
• stanch
• tranche

Kids Definition

avalanche

noun

av·​a·​lanche

ˈav-ə-ˌlanch

1

: a large mass of snow and ice or of earth and rock sliding down a mountainside

2

: a sudden large amount

an avalanche of words