avalanche (avalanch)

[ fall or sliding down of a ma of snow or ice from a mountain-slope. The sliding down of ordinary snow is, in high snow-covered mountains, an event of frequent occurrence, and is generally not danger habitations and forests. Partly consolidated snow, or ous or destructive, since it mostly takes place high above névé, however, is sometimes set in motion in large quantities, and such an occurrence may be productive of very serious injury, especially to the forests below. Small glaciers sometimes detach themselves from their rocky beds and fall into the valley below; such events are rare, but have sometimes been attended by very disastrous results. The more terrible catastrophes which have occurred, and by which, especially in the Alps, whole villages have been buried, have been due to the sliding down of a portion of the rock itself of which the mountain was formed. These "rock-avalanches," as they are sometimes called, are more properly denominated land-slips or land-slides. See land slip, land - slide. Around his [Mont Blanc's] waist are forests braced, The avalanche in his hand; But ere it fall, that thundering ball Must pause at my command. Byron , Manfred, i. 1. Hence - 2. Anything resembling an avalanche in suddenne and destructivene : as, an ava lanche of misfortunes. avalet (a-val'), v. [ A rayn from hevene gan avale. 3. pl . Profits or proceeds: as, the avails of a sale by auction. - Avail of marriage, in Scots law , a sum payable to the superior by the heir of a deceased 2. To descend; dismount. ward-va al on his becoming marriageable. =Syn. 1 and 2. Use, utility, service.-3. Returns. avail2t, v. See avale .