Crevasse

/krɪˈvæs/ noun

Definition

A deep, narrow crack or fissure in a glacier, ice sheet, or rock face, often dangerous for climbers.

Etymology

From French 'crevasse,' derived from Old French 'crever' meaning to burst or break. The word traveled into English through mountaineering and geological terminology in the 18th-19th centuries.

Kelly Says

Crevasses are climbers' greatest invisible danger—these hidden cracks in glaciers can be covered by thin bridges of snow, creating deadly traps that experienced mountaineers navigate using ropes and careful technique.

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