I. ˈa-və-ˌlanch noun
Etymology: French, from French dialect (Franco-Provençal) lavantse, avalantse
Date: 1771
1. : a large mass of snow, ice, earth, rock, or other material in swift motion down a mountainside or over a precipice
2. : a sudden great or overwhelming rush or accumulation of something
office workers tied down with an avalanche of paperwork
3. : a cumulative process in which photons or accelerated charge carriers produce additional photons or charge carriers through collisions (as with gas molecules)
II. verb
( -lanched ; -lanch·ing )
Date: 1855
intransitive verb
: to descend in an avalanche
transitive verb
: overwhelm , flood