escarpment

es·carp·ment

noun \i-ˈskärp-mənt\

Definition of ESCARPMENT

1

: a steep slope in front of a fortification

2

: a long cliff or steep slope separating two comparatively level or more gently sloping surfaces and resulting from erosion or faulting

Examples of ESCARPMENT

1. <the castle sits atop an escarpment that for hundreds of years made it virtually invulnerable to attack>

Origin of ESCARPMENT

French escarpement, from escarper to scarp, from Middle French, from escarpe scarp, from Old Italian scarpa — more at scarp

First Known Use: circa 1802

Related to ESCARPMENT

Synonyms: barranca (also barranco), bluff, crag, cliff, palisade, precipice, scar, scarp

Related Words: butte, cuesta, hogback, tor; bulwark, embankment; declivity, drop-off, pitch

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Other Geology Terms

anthracite, boulder, cwm, erratic, igneous, intrusive, mesa, sedimentary, silt, swale