anticline

noun

an·​ti·​cline ˈan-ti-ˌklīn How to pronounce anticline (audio)
: an arch of stratified rock in which the layers bend downward in opposite directions from the crest compare syncline

Illustration of anticline

Illustration of anticline
  • cross section of strata showing anticline

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web The harsh, high-desert anticline is almost as big as Delaware and home to such wildness and alien-looking geology that the Mars Society has built a Mars Desert Research Station there. Dina Mishev, Washington Post, 16 Sep. 2022

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'anticline.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of anticline was in 1845

Dictionary Entries Near anticline

Cite this Entry

“Anticline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anticline. Accessed 26 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

anticline

noun
an·​ti·​cline ˈant-i-ˌklīn How to pronounce anticline (audio)
: an arch of rock arranged in layers that bend downward in opposite directions from the top compare syncline

More from Merriam-Webster on anticline

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