Meaning & use
Alpenstock
Last updated
A long wooden staff with a metal spike, traditionally used by hikers and mountaineers for support on steep or icy terrain.
See it in a sentence
The old photograph showed climbers posing with their alpenstocks before the ascent.
Before the invention of modern ice axes, an alpenstock was essential mountaineering equipment.
A note on using this word
A German loanword combining 'Alpen' (Alps) and 'Stock' (stick); largely replaced today by the modern ice axe and trekking pole.
Words with a similar meaning
hiking staff
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