piolet

[ pee-uh-ley ]

noun

1. an ice ax used in mountaineering.

piolet

/ pjəʊˈleɪ /

noun

1. a type of ice axe

Word History and Origins

Origin of piolet¹

1865–70; < French < Franco-Provençal; compare piolet, pioula, derivatives of apia ax ≪ Germanic; hatchet

Word History and Origins

Origin of piolet¹

C19: from French (Savoy) dialect piola axe

Example Sentences

"I'm incredibly proud to receive a Piolet d'Or, but I never got into climbing for awards," he said.

From BBC

He was awarded the Piolet d'Or, dubbed mountaineering's Oscars, for summitting the previously unclimbed Jugal Spire in Nepal.

From BBC

Though Messner accepted the lifetime achievement Piolet d’Or in 2010, an award created a year earlier, he too dismisses climbing prizes as reductive.

From New York Times

Uisdean Hawthorn, a 28-year-old Scottish climber, is another recipient of a Piolet d’Or this year with his partner, Ethan Berman, for their new route on Mount Robson’s Emperor Face, in Canada.

From New York Times

“And none of those people and climbs, in my mind, should qualify for the Piolet d’Or. If we want to create a culture in which not so many of the top guys end up dying, we need to make some changes.”

From New York Times