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crevasse

crevice

noun kruh-VAHS Rare
Animals & Nature Geography

Origin: Old French 'crevasse', from 'crever' (to burst), from Latin 'crepare'.

Also means

crack, chap (skin)

Usage Note

Crevasse in French covers both a crack in rock or ice (une crevasse glaciaire — a glacier crevasse) and a chapped crack in skin (des crevasses aux mains — chapped hands). The English word 'crevasse' is borrowed from French but is narrowed to glaciers. The feminine plural des crevasses is the common form.

Examples

"L'alpiniste a failli tomber dans une crevasse."

Natural Translation

The mountaineer nearly fell into a crevasse.

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