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icefall

American

[ahys-fawl] / ˈaɪsˌfɔl /

noun

a jumbled mass of ice in a glacier.
a mass of ice overhanging a precipice.
a falling of ice from a glacier, iceberg, etc.

icefall British

/ ˈaɪsˌfɔːl /

noun

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of icefall

First recorded in 1810–20; ice + fall

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.

See Examples For:

icefall

Everest — like lowering a crane into an icefall crevasse by helicopter.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026

In the spring, the icefall doctors had finally managed to open the Khumbu Icefall section, after a massive overhanging glacial chunk, called a serac, blocked the path for much of the early climbing season.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

Ang Sarki Sherpa, who has worked as an icefall doctor for years, said he expected the serac to melt because its lower part was weak.

From BBC ● Apr. 23, 2026

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

From Washington Times ● May 2, 2023

The icefall was crisscrossed with crevasses and tottering seracs.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023