SINCE 1828
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\
, ˌau̇t-ˈkräp\
outcropped;
outcropping;
outcrops
Definition of outcrop (Entry 2 of 2)
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
The original team worked with the face of the rock outcrop, but the new group managed to saw out a block of rock for a three-dimensional view. — Scott K. Johnson, Ars Technica, "New study argues against some of the oldest evidence for life," 18 Oct. 2018 Getty Condé Nast Traveler readers ranked the 30 best islands in the world outside the U.S. in the 2018 Readers' Choice Awards survey, from far-flung stunners in Southeast Asia to volcanic outcrops in the Mediterranean. — Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Best Islands in the World: 2018 Readers' Choice Awards," 9 Oct. 2018 Due to the resolution of the satellite images, smaller burial mounds from about three to five meters (9.8 to 16.4 feet) in diameter didn’t show up or were too hard to distinguish from rock outcrops and other natural terrain. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Satellites watch over the graves of ancient steppe nomads," 26 Dec. 2018 Holcomb Creek Falls Holcomb Creek Falls tumbles over large rock outcrops, dropping more than 120 feet along Holcomb Creek in Rabun County. — Eric Champlin, ajc, "40 must-visit waterfalls in North Georgia," 14 June 2018 The windswept Shetlands lie less than 400 miles from the Arctic Circle, and their outermost isle, an uninhabited rocky outcrop called Out Stack, is the northernmost point of Britain. — Ken Jennings, Condé Nast Traveler, "U.K. Maps Now Required to Give the Shetland Archipelago Some Respect," 15 Oct. 2018 The tree-house-like stilted bungalows of Asilia’s Jabali Ridge—enclosed by teak louvered shutters and nest-like gum-wood-branch roofs—hide between boulders on a soaring granite outcrop, giving panoramic views of plains and otherworldly baobabs. — Andrew Sessa, Condé Nast Traveler, "Ruaha: The African National Park You'll Have Almost All to Yourself," 11 Oct. 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 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 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
In Topanga State Park, hike up to Eagle Rock—a massive sandstone outcropping nearly 2,000 feet above sea level—for panoramic views. — Rico Gagliano, WSJ, "3 Quick Escapes From Los Angeles," 1 Aug. 2018 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. 2016These 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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