icefall

noun

ice·​fall ˈīs-ˌfȯl How to pronounce icefall (audio)
1
: a frozen waterfall
2
: the mass of usually jagged blocks into which a glacier may break when it moves down a steep declivity

Examples of icefall in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Elite Sherpas, called icefall doctors, go in first. — Cecilia Vega, CBS News, 22 Dec. 2025 The park’s waterfalls flow strongest from March through June and transform into dramatic icefalls in winter. — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2026 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. — Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026 Lama Kazi Sherpa, of the SPCC, told Reuters that his team located Hillary Dawa above Base Camp near the icefall and brought him down to safety. — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 5 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for icefall

Word History

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of icefall was in 1803

Rhymes for icefall

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Browse Nearby Words

iced water
icefall
ice feathers
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Cite this Entry

“Icefall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/icefall. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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