outcrop

1 of 2

noun

out·​crop ˈau̇t-ˌkräp 

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

2 of 2

verb

out·​crop ˈau̇t-ˌkräp 

ˌau̇t-ˈkräp

outcropped; outcropping; outcrops

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

Most of the chert that Tyler had found on that trip had been maroon, but this outcrop caught his eye for its striking shade of jet black. —Laura Poppick, Rolling Stone, 30 June 2025

The outcrop reveals details of an unknown chapter in our planet’s history. —Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 29 June 2025

Verb

These findings, unearthed from the Owl Rock Member that outcrops in a remote and less explored area of the site, reveal that at that time older animals like giant amphibians and armored crocodile relatives lived alongside newer species such as early frogs, turtles and pterosaurs. —Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 2025

The previously oldest rock formation was the Acasta Gneiss, outcropping in the Slave Craton of the Canadian Northwest Territories. —David Bressan, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

out entry 1 + crop entry 2, after crop out "to protrude from the ground"

Note: See the note at crop entry 2 regarding geological senses of the verb.

Verb

derivative of outcrop entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1805, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1847, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for outcrop

• atop
• backdrop
• backstop
• bebop
• blacktop
• bookshop
• clatsop
• desktop
• eavesdrop
• estop
• hardtop
• hilltop

Kids Definition

outcrop

1 of 2 noun

out·​crop ˈau̇t-ˌkräp 

1

: a coming out of bedrock to the surface of the ground

2

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

outcrop

2 of 2 verb

out·​crop ˈau̇t-ˌkräp 

(ˈ)au̇t-ˈkräp

outcropped; outcropping

: to come to the surface : appear

granite outcropping through softer rocks