moraine

noun

mo·​raine mə-ˈrān How to pronounce moraine (audio)
: an accumulation of earth and stones carried and finally deposited by a glacier
morainal adjective
morainic adjective

Examples of moraine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Rainfall, landslides, earthquakes, or rising water pressure can all be catalysts to a moraine shifting and crumbling, releasing a dangerous wall of water down the mountain. WIRED, 24 Oct. 2023 When glaciers hold back lakes Some glacial lakes are dammed by moraines – mounds of rock and debris that are left behind as a glacier retreats. Brianna Rick, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2023 Tucked between the jagged basalt peaks and moraines is No Name Lake, a turquoise gem popping out from the surrounding black rock. Haley Nelson | , oregonlive, 8 Sep. 2023 The project area is in part on Cox Ledge, which is dominated by complex glacial moraine habitat and is one of the last places in southern New England where Atlantic cod is found throughout all its life stages. Brian Amaral, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Apr. 2023 Boats wouldn’t be able to navigate in certain areas, and the construction and operation of the project would disturb and move glacial moraine habitat and boulders. Brian Amaral, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Apr. 2023 Researchers collecting samples from areas such as this terminal moraine (debris dumped by a glacier at its furthest point, or terminus) in British Columbia may have inadvertently provided a clue to how the first human migrations to the Americas occurred. Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 9 Nov. 2017 The Perros Glacier is unique and worth spending some time taking in from the lookout around the corner from the moraine if the weather's good. Cassidy Randall, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2023 Like Long Island, these are remnants of the rubble pile, or terminal moraine, pushed up by the ice sheet. Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 30 Apr. 2014

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'moraine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, from French dialect (Savoy) morêna

First Known Use

1783, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of moraine was in 1783

Dictionary Entries Near moraine

Cite this Entry

“Moraine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moraine. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

moraine

noun
mo·​raine mə-ˈrān How to pronounce moraine (audio)
: a pile of earth and stones carried and deposited by a glacier

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