Definition of mesa
: an isolated relatively flat-topped natural elevation usually more extensive than a butte and less extensive than a plateau; also : a broad terrace with an abrupt slope on one side : bench
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Examples of mesa in a Sentence
a mesa in the Arizona desert
Recent Examples of mesa from the Web
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Rich’s appointment was praised by Inder Verma, a cancer biologist at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, which is part of the famed life-science mesa that’s anchored by UC San Diego.
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Peerwani said King’s mesa colon, the mesentery that supplies blood to the colon, was cut likely a week before his death.
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Surrounding it is a landscape of desert, mesas and blue sky, which served as muse for artists such as painter Georgia O’Keefe and photographer Ansel Adams.
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If the MSR lander could set down within a five-kilometer landing ellipse atop the mesa, then a seven-kilometer round-trip traverse would permit sampling of some of the layers.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mesa'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of mesa
Spanish, literally, table, from Latin mensa
First Known Use: 1840
Other Geology Terms
anthracite, boulder, cwm, erratic, igneous, intrusive, sedimentary, silt, swale
Mesa
playDefinition of Mesa
city east of Phoenix in southwest central Arizona population 439,041
MESA Defined for English Language Learners
mesa
playDefinition of mesa for English Language Learners
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: a hill that has a flat top and steep sides and that is found in the southwestern U.S.
MESA Defined for Kids
mesa
playDefinition of mesa for Students
: a hill with a flat top and steep sides
Learn More about mesa
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See words that rhyme with mesa Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for mesa Spanish Central: Translation of mesa Nglish: Translation of mesa for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mesa
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