icefall
noun
ice·fall ˈīs-ˌfȯl 
1
: a frozen waterfall
2
: the mass of usually jagged blocks into which a glacier may break when it moves down a steep declivity
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Traditionally, guides would determine the safety of a summit attempt based on objective hazards like rockfall, icefall, and weather. 
Outside Online, 29 May 2022 Meanwhile, the Himalayan Times reports that the icefall doctors are on their way to Base Camp to begin fixing the route through the Khumbu Icefall. Alan Arnette, Outside Online, 11 Mar. 2020 After last year’s avalanche, which killed 16 high-altitude workers in the icefall, the government canceled the season and extended permits one year. The Editors, Outside Online, 4 May 2015 Time reports that the Nepalese government has already forbidden climbers from traversing the icefall, forcing them instead to take a longer, more difficult—but less avalanche-prone—route. Will Egensteiner, Outside Online, 23 Feb. 2015 In parts of Tennessee, significant icefall of up to half an inch coupled with sizable sleet and snow accumulation has damaged trees and downed power lines, according to the National Weather Service and the City of Memphis. Tori B. Powell, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2022 The cold air could accompany significant icefall throughout southern Texas as well as North and South Carolina. Tori B. Powell, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2022 Come in the spring when the cascades are at their most dramatic, or hit the park in winter for eagle watching and icefalls. Sarah Feldberg, Travel + Leisure, 24 Feb. 2017 The 23 expeditions undertaken between 1931 and 1939 invariably entailed extreme trials—among them perilous icefalls, pounding hail and fingers and toes lost to frostbite. The Economist, 20 Feb. 2020 See More
Outside Online, 29 May 2022 Meanwhile, the Himalayan Times reports that the icefall doctors are on their way to Base Camp to begin fixing the route through the Khumbu Icefall. Alan Arnette, Outside Online, 11 Mar. 2020 After last year’s avalanche, which killed 16 high-altitude workers in the icefall, the government canceled the season and extended permits one year. The Editors, Outside Online, 4 May 2015 Time reports that the Nepalese government has already forbidden climbers from traversing the icefall, forcing them instead to take a longer, more difficult—but less avalanche-prone—route. Will Egensteiner, Outside Online, 23 Feb. 2015 In parts of Tennessee, significant icefall of up to half an inch coupled with sizable sleet and snow accumulation has damaged trees and downed power lines, according to the National Weather Service and the City of Memphis. Tori B. Powell, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2022 The cold air could accompany significant icefall throughout southern Texas as well as North and South Carolina. Tori B. Powell, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2022 Come in the spring when the cascades are at their most dramatic, or hit the park in winter for eagle watching and icefalls. Sarah Feldberg, Travel + Leisure, 24 Feb. 2017 The 23 expeditions undertaken between 1931 and 1939 invariably entailed extreme trials—among them perilous icefalls, pounding hail and fingers and toes lost to frostbite. The Economist, 20 Feb. 2020 See More Word History
First Known Use
1803, in the meaning defined at sense 1