outcrop

noun

out·crop | \ˈau̇t-ˌkräp

\

Definition of outcrop

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a coming out of bedrock or of an unconsolidated deposit to the surface of the ground

2 : the part of a rock formation that appears at the surface of the ground

outcrop

verb

out·crop | \ˈau̇t-ˌkräp,

ˌau̇t-ˈkräp\

outcropped; outcropping; outcrops

Definition of outcrop (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to project from the surrounding soil ledges outcropping from the eroded slope

2 : to come to the surface : appear

Examples of outcrop in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

One of my colleagues suddenly noticed a stone embedded in a steep outcrop. — Time, "A Discovery in China Suggests That Human-Like Species Left Africa 250,000 Years Earlier Than Believed," 13 July 2018 Police were called to the scene around 6 p.m. and found a man in his 30s who had fallen while climbing the natural rock outcrop, Maryland Natural Resources Police spokeswoman Candy Thomson said. — Chris Kaltenbach, baltimoresun.com, "Man dies in fall at Rocks State Park in Harford County," 24 June 2018 One of my colleagues suddenly noticed a stone embedded in a steep outcrop. — Time, "A Discovery in China Suggests That Human-Like Species Left Africa 250,000 Years Earlier Than Believed," 13 July 2018 One of my colleagues suddenly noticed a stone embedded in a steep outcrop. — Washington Post, "Chinese find suggests human relatives left Africa earlier," 11 July 2018 In a cave, gear can easily hang up on rocky outcrops. — J. Weston Phippen, Outside Online, "The Daring Rescue that Saved the Thai Soccer Team," 10 July 2018 The cave complex extends several kilometers (miles) and has wide chambers and narrow passageways with rocky outcrops and changes in elevation. — Tassanee Vejpongsa, Houston Chronicle, "Rain, high water complicate cave search for Thai soccer team," 27 June 2018 The cave complex extends several kilometers (miles) and has wide chambers and narrow passageways with rocky outcrops and changes in elevation. — NBC News, "Rescue of Thai soccer team trapped in cave complicated by heavy rains," 27 June 2018 Researchers from the Ohio State University 6 GPS stations on rock outcrops around the ASE, from the POLNET-ANET array, to measure the land's rise. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "The Bedrock Below West Antarctica Is Rising Shockingly Fast," 25 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

But here Bidwell starts to feel wilder, as the Maidu and Middle and Upper Trails branch off into the foothills and toward the rock outcropping known as Monkey Face, and other trails dip into the dense riparian growth along Big Chico Creek. — Peter Fish, San Francisco Chronicle, "Best secrets of small-town Chico’s big city park," 16 Mar. 2018 Shovels and Rope is a cool rockabilly outcropping of that movement. — NOLA.com, "See the slew of excellent concerts coming up in New Orleans," 18 Jan. 2018 The petroglyphs were rediscovered after an 1881 wildfire devastated much of the region and burned off the vegetation that had covered the sandstone outcropping. — Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Press, "Vandal defaces historic Sanilac Petroglyphs carved by Great Lakes native Americans," 8 Sep. 2017 The trail through the preserve ends at a huge granite outcropping with the must-see expansive view of the marshes of Selden Creek and the 600-acre Selden Neck State Park — the largest island along the 410-mile-long Connecticut River. — Peter Marteka, courant.com, "Preserving Land And Trailblazing In Hadlyme," 2 Sep. 2017 Between 1916 and 1972 sculptors created three huge bas-relief images of Lee, Davis and Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson on the side of Stone Mountain, an 80-story-high rock outcropping in Atlanta’s eastern suburbs. — Rick Hampson, USA TODAY, "America's 'Confederate infrastructure:' Too big to hide, move or raze," 17 Aug. 2017 Keep reading here, as Brannen explores the geological record of that moment: a rock outcropping in central Wyoming. — Rosa Inocencio Smith, The Atlantic, "The Atlantic Daily: Don Jr.'s Email Evidence," 11 July 2017 As my friend’s words about the sublime subtleties of the discoveries made during her experience played through my mind, Beno raised a eucalyptus branch like a pointer toward a massive stone outcropping 20 yards ahead. — Eric Hiss, New York Times, "Rapa Nui Is Remote. And Then There’s Its Isolated North Coast," 9 Nov. 2016 Perched on an outcropping at 3,000 feet, his Desert View Tower is the only structure for miles. — Kevin Brass, WSJ, "The Business of Roadside Attractions," 28 Apr. 2017

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

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Last Updated

29 Oct 2018

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The first known use of outcrop was in 1805

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