couloir
Americannoun
plural
couloirsnoun
Etymology
Origin of couloir
1850–55; < French: literally, colander < Late Latin cōlātōrium strainer, equivalent to Latin cōlā ( re ) to strain, filter + -tōrium -tory 2; coulee
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On Feb. 19, a group of six climbers were climbing a steep, narrow gully — called a couloir — on the peak near Leavenworth when an avalanche crashed down the mountainside.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 25, 2023
Lewicky’s benchmark for great adventures dates to 2008 when, on a hike through the San Gabriels, he spotted an unfamiliar couloir — a steep chute bordered by rock on either side — in the distance.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2023
After about 1,500 vertical feet, the couloir narrowed and made a sharp bend.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2023
While climbing a couloir — a steep narrow gully — the lead climber in a group of six triggered the slab avalanche.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 22, 2023
He asked the local guides whether avalanches ever came down this couloir, to which they answered that our position was perfectly safe.
From The Ascent of the Matterhorn by Whymper, Edward
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
