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
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None of them said that climate change could fully explain the catastrophe—the Kleine Nesthorn was inherently prone to rockfalls, and the immediate cause was gravity—but all were convinced that climate change had played a key role. Daniel A. Gross, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2025 Avalanches, rockfalls and slope failures can also trigger glacial lake outburst floods. Suzanne Oconnell, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 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 Lambiel said the rockfalls were due to climate change. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR, 29 May 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 9 Sep. 2025.

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