couloir

[ kool-wahr; French koo-lwar ]

/ kulˈwɑr; French kuˈlwar /

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See synonyms for couloir on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural cou·loirs

[kool-wahrz, French koo-lwar]. /kulˈwɑrz, French kuˈlwar/.

a steep gorge or gully on the side of a mountain, especially in the Alps.

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Origin of couloir

1850–55; <French: literally, colander <Late Latin cōlātōrium strainer, equivalent to Latin cōlā(re) to strain, filter + -tōrium-tory²; see coulee

Words nearby couloir

coulee, coulibiac, coulibiaca, coulis, coulisse, couloir, coulomb, Coulomb field, Coulomb force, Coulomb's law, coulometer

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use couloir in a sentence

There are also some technical sections, for example along ridges and couloirs, where you climb on foot with your skis strapped to your backpack.
The Complex Physiology of Ski Mountaineering|mmirhashem|November 13, 2021|Outside Online
His home was an old Subaru Loyale, and he spent his days scaling Yosemite’s sheer rock faces and skiing the couloirs outside Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Jimmy Chin's Plan to Make the Outdoors More Inclusive|Kathy Karlo|May 11, 2021|Outside Online
If you’ve got the skills, ski objectives in the park range from the relatively mellow 25 Short to steep couloirs on Nez Perce.
The Ultimate Grand Teton National Park Travel Guide|Dina Mishev|April 7, 2021|Outside Online
Sinking up to my armpits in a pocket of facets midway up a couloir only moments after digging a pit took spatial variability beyond the conceptual.
It’s Time to Embrace Ski Guiding|Marc Peruzzi|February 26, 2021|Outside Online

Big Sky Backcountry Guides has exclusive access to 14,000 surrounding acres, which includes everything from low-angle trees to steep couloirs.
15 Ways to Play in the Snow This Year|Megan Michelson|November 26, 2020|Outside Online
Their tracks were visible on the snow at the top of the couloir.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 1|Francis Maitland Balfour
None came, and we felt gratified at this confirmation of our judgment as to the safety of this part of the couloir.
Adventures on the Roof of the World|Mrs. Aubrey Le Blond
Naturally, our trust in the rocks was gone, and we took as soon as possible to the steep snow of the couloir.
Adventures on the Roof of the World|Mrs. Aubrey Le Blond
My hat blew off here, and rolled on its stiffened brim at a tremendous pace down a couloir of ice.
Adventures on the Roof of the World|Mrs. Aubrey Le Blond
We ascended by the right-hand couloir, if I may so term it, and then made for the gap on the ridge at the extreme westerly end.
Adventures on the Roof of the World|Mrs. Aubrey Le Blond

British Dictionary definitions for couloir

couloir

/ (ˈkuːlwɑː, French kulwar) /

noun

a deep gully on a mountain side, esp in the French Alps

Word Origin for couloir

C19: from French: corridor, from couler to pour; see coulee

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

couloir

Origin of couloir

Words nearby couloir

Words related to couloir

How to use couloir in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for couloir

Word Origin for couloir