German Conversation · Level 70
60 words
German word
Lawine
Pronunciation
IPA/laˈviːnə/
Meaning
- feminine nounavalanche
Example
In den Bergen löste sich eine Lawine.
An avalanche broke loose in the mountains.
More examples
Die Hütte wurde von einer Lawine verschüttet.
The hut was buried by an avalanche.
Core concept
Snow suddenly surges down a slope as a powerful, spreading flow that can overwhelm everything below.
Common phrases
eine Lawine auslösen
trigger an avalanche
von einer Lawine verschüttet werden
be buried by an avalanche
Similar words
Lawinenabgang: A mountain event in which snow suddenly slides downhill.
Schneebrett: A slab of snow that cracks and slides down a slope.
Steinschlag: Stones or small rocks breaking loose and falling from a slope.
Rutschung: Part of a slope sliding downhill and carrying soil or rock with it.
Definition in German
Lawine bezeichnet ein plötzlich abgehendes großes Schneefeld, das den Hang hinunterrutscht.
Word origin
The German noun Lawine is borrowed through French from an Alpine Romance form related to the idea of sliding or falling.
Usage tips
- In figurative use, eine Lawine von + noun describes an overwhelming flood of something, such as eine Lawine von Kritik.
Opposites
- Hangstabilitätslope stabilitynoun
- Lawinenfreiheitavalanche-free conditionnoun
Related words
- Lawinenwarnungavalanche warningnoun
- Lawinengefahravalanche dangernoun
- lawinenfreiavalanche-freeadjective