nieve penitente

noun

nie·​ve pen·​i·​ten·​te

nēˈāvāˌpenəˈtentā,

ˈnyāv-

plural nieves penitentes

-vās … tās

: a jagged sometimes curved pinnacle of ice or névé produced by uneven melting of a snowbank or of the surface of a glacier

also : an assemblage of such pinnacles compare serac

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, literally, penitent snow; from the illusion of kneeling human figures

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!