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\ ˈles 
, ˈləs, ˈlō-əs, ˈlərs \
, ˈləs, ˈlō-əs, ˈlərs \Definition of loess
: an unstratified usually buff to yellowish brown loamy deposit found in North America, Europe, and Asia and believed to be chiefly deposited by the wind
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Other Words from loess
loessial \ ˈle-sē-əl , ˈlə- , lō-ˈe- , ˈlər- \ adjective
, ˈlə- , lō-ˈe- , ˈlər- \ adjectiveExamples of loess in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web When the tunnel was first dug, the ice held the loess in place.
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Madeline Ostrander, Smithsonian Magazine, "In a Tunnel Beneath Alaska, Scientists Race to Understand Disappearing Permafrost," 4 May 2020 When the tunnel was first dug, the ice held the loess in place.
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Madeline Ostrander, Smithsonian Magazine, "In a Tunnel Beneath Alaska, Scientists Race to Understand Disappearing Permafrost," 4 May 2020 When the tunnel was first dug, the ice held the loess in place.
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Madeline Ostrander, Smithsonian Magazine, "In a Tunnel Beneath Alaska, Scientists Race to Understand Disappearing Permafrost," 4 May 2020 When the tunnel was first dug, the ice held the loess in place.
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Madeline Ostrander, Smithsonian Magazine, "In a Tunnel Beneath Alaska, Scientists Race to Understand Disappearing Permafrost," 4 May 2020 When the tunnel was first dug, the ice held the loess in place.
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Madeline Ostrander, Smithsonian Magazine, "In a Tunnel Beneath Alaska, Scientists Race to Understand Disappearing Permafrost," 4 May 2020 The windblown loess soil comprises freshwater sedimentary topsoil resting over fractured basalt subsoil.
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Michael Alberty | For The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, "Willamette Valley wine map gets 2 new grape-growing regions: Tualatin Hills, Laurelwood District," 4 June 2020 When the tunnel was first dug, the ice held the loess in place.
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Madeline Ostrander, Wired, "Want to Study Permafrost? Get It Before It's Gone," 2 May 2020 Just 16 stone tools turned up, spread across six layers of loess, deposited in colder, drier, windier times when the plateau would have been a steppe grassland with less ample grazing and much colder winters.
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Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Hominins lived in China 2.1 million years ago," 11 July 2018
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'loess.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Time Traveler for loess
The first known use of loess was in 1833
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