escarpment

noun

es·​carp·​ment i-ˈskärp-mənt How to pronounce escarpment (audio)
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 in a Sentence

the castle sits atop an escarpment that for hundreds of years made it virtually invulnerable to attack
Recent Examples on the Web The formation is a 10-foot wide, 100-foot deep crack through a sandstone escarpment into a gorge. Korrin Bishop, Southern Living, 4 July 2024 Dream sweetly surrounded by sandstone escarpments at Enchantment Resort. Emily Pennington, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2023 My team’s research has shown that this limitation has likely stopped them from traveling across the escarpments of the Great Rift Valley in East Africa. Douglas R. Cavener, Discover Magazine, 6 June 2024 Jim Jim Falls — Australia These Australian falls drop over a rocky escarpment to the earth 656 feet below. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 4 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for escarpment 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'escarpment.' 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 escarpement, from escarper to scarp, from Middle French, from escarpe scarp, from Old Italian scarpa — more at scarp

First Known Use

circa 1802, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of escarpment was circa 1802

Dictionary Entries Near escarpment

Cite this Entry

“Escarpment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/escarpment. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

escarpment

noun
es·​carp·​ment is-ˈkärp-mənt How to pronounce escarpment (audio)
1
: a steep slope in front of a fort or defensive area
2
: a long cliff

More from Merriam-Webster on escarpment

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