smottamento

landslide; ground subsidence

noun zmot-tah-MEN-toh Rare

Usage Note

Smottamento refers specifically to the slow or sudden downhill movement of soil and rock — a slip or slump rather than a fast avalanche (valanga) or rockfall (frana). Frana is the broader term; smottamento implies a more localised, often rain-triggered soil shift. It is common in Italian civil-protection and geological reporting. The verb is smottare.

Examples

"Lo smottamento ha bloccato la strada."

Natural Translation

The landslide blocked the road.

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