scarp

scarp

noun \ˈskärp\

Definition of SCARP

1

: the inner side of a ditch below the parapet of a fortification

2

a : a line of cliffs produced by faulting or erosion — see fault illustration b : a low steep slope along a beach caused by wave erosion

— scarped adjective

Examples of SCARP

1. <years of violent ocean storms had heavily eroded the beach, creating a scarp along one end of it>

Origin of SCARP

Italian scarpa

First Known Use: 1589

Related to SCARP

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

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

Rhymes with SCARP

Arp, carp, harp, sharp, tarp, Tharp