icefall

American  

[ahys-fawl] / ˈaɪsˌfɔl /

noun

1. a jumbled mass of ice in a glacier.

2. a mass of ice overhanging a precipice.

3. a falling of ice from a glacier, iceberg, etc.

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icefall British  

/ ˈaɪsˌfɔːl /

noun

1. a very steep part of a glacier that has deep crevasses and resembles a frozen waterfall

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Etymology

Origin of icefall

First recorded in 1810–20; ice + fall

Example Sentences

Because the only way to get back to base camp was via that icefall, Whittaker chose to stay above it on the mountain for five steady weeks as more camps were established up Everest.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

The icefall, on the South Col route to the summit of Everest, rapidly falls down the mountain opening large crevasses with little warning and dislodging huge towers of ice, known as seracs.

From BBC • May 28, 2023

Three Sherpa climbers died in an avalanche in the Khumbu icefall on April 12.

From Washington Times • May 2, 2023

There, according to an online brochure featuring animations of chilly remote landscapes, they’ll explore an icefall, ride fat bikes with wide tires to grip the frozen terrain, and collect samples of snow.

From Slate • Oct. 3, 2019

Although I’d never been in an icefall as frightening as the Khumbu, I’d climbed many other icefalls.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer