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Avalanche vs Deluge - What's the difference?

avalanche | deluge |

In transitive terms the difference between avalanche and deluge

is that avalanche is to come down upon; to overwhelm while deluge is to overwhelm.

As nouns the difference between avalanche and deluge

is that avalanche is a large mass or body of snow and ice sliding swiftly down a mountain side, or falling down a precipice while deluge is a great flood or rain.

As verbs the difference between avalanche and deluge

is that avalanche is to descend like an avalanche while deluge is to flood with water.

As a proper noun Deluge is

the Biblical flood during the time of Noah.

avalanche

English

(wikipedia avalanche) (Webster 1913)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A large mass or body of snow and ice sliding swiftly down a mountain side, or falling down a precipice.
  • A fall of earth, rocks, etc., similar to that of an avalanche of snow or ice.
  • A sudden, great, or irresistible descent or influx of anything.
  • Anything like an avalanche in suddenness and overwhelming quantity (like a barrage, blitz, etc).

    • Synonyms

    * snowslide, snowslip

    Verb

    (avalanch)
  • To descend like an avalanche.
  • To come down upon; to overwhelm.
    • The shelf broke and the boxes avalanched the workers.

    External links

    * * ----

    deluge

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A great flood or rain.
    • The deluge continued for hours, drenching the land and slowing traffic to a halt.
  • An overwhelming amount of something; anything that overwhelms or causes great destruction.
    • The rock concert was a deluge of sound.
  • * Milton
    • A fiery deluge fed / With ever-burning sulphur unconsumed.
  • * Lowell
    • The little bird sits at his door in the sun, / Atilt like a blossom among the leaves, / And lets his illumined being o'errun / With the deluge of summer it receives.
  • (Military engineering) A damage control system on navy warships which is activated by excessive temperature within the Vertical Launching System.
  • * NAVEDTRA 14324A
    • In the event of a restrained firing or canister overtemperature condition, the deluge system sprays cooling water within the canister until the overtemperature condition no longer exists.

    Verb

  • To flood with water.
  • To overwhelm.
    • After the announcement, they were deluged with requests for more information.

    References

    * 1996, T.F. Hoad, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Etymology , Oxford University Press, ISBN 0192830988

    See also

    * inundate ----