avalanche

Everyday

1. An avalanche is a huge mass of snow, ice and rocks that suddenly slides fast down a mountain. tree →
2. An avalanche of something is a sudden very large amount of it, as in an avalanche of letters. tree →

In the lessons

In geography and safety lessons, avalanches happen after heavy snowfall or warm weather on steep slopes; skiers and climbers check avalanche warnings, carry beacons, and rescue dogs search for buried people. In everyday talk, an avalanche of homework or emails means too much at once.

Examples

• An avalanche buried the mountain road. tree →
• Skiers must check the avalanche warning. tree →
• Rescue dogs found the climber after the avalanche. tree →
• Loud noises do not usually start avalanches, despite the films. tree →
• We got an avalanche of birthday cards. tree →
• The teacher faced an avalanche of questions. tree →
• An avalanche had fallen, not upon Rudy and his uncle, but very near them. tree →

Note

Countable. Myth: shouting rarely causes an avalanche; usually it is the weight of snow or a skier. A landslide is similar but of earth and rock.