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
out·crop
ˈau̇t-ˌkräp
ˌau̇t-ˈkräp
outcropped; outcropping; outcrops
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
Hannah Beech Adam Ferguson, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024
The research, recently published in Scientific Reports, focused on three rock outcrops at the Serrote do Letreiro site in Brazil.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 9 Apr. 2024
Take San Timoteo Canyon, a river valley near the San Bernardino County city of Redlands offering all the creature comforts rattlesnakes need to multiply and prosper: rock outcrops on which to bask in the sun, thickets of vegetation for camouflage, and loads of ground squirrels to feed on.
—Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Hotton made several research trips to dig for fossils from a group of rock outcrops in north central Texas called the Red Beds.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 21 Mar. 2024
Rowe, 56, came to Nevada prospecting for gold and copper, and was struck by the Ridge, a volcanic rock outcrop in the southwest part of the state.
—Christopher Helman, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
Photos taken en route showed apparent layering in the nearest outcrops.
—Scott K. Johnson, Ars Technica, 18 Sep. 2023
Hidden within the hill, in an outcrop of rock, was a group of fossils nearly 280 million years in the making.
—Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 30 Nov. 2023
The cephalopods were found near a small outcrop of rock called El Dorado Hill.
1:11
Scientists have discovered at least four new species of octopus in the deep waters of a 100-square-mile area near Costa Rica, officials from the Schmidt Ocean Institute said on Tuesday.
—Jon Haworth, ABC News, 17 Jan. 2024
Patricia Cohen Violette Franchi, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2023
The reefs that outcropped in Johannesburg extend deep underground, making up part of the Witwatersrand basin, a geological formation that stretches in an arc two hundred and fifty miles long.
—Kimon De Greef, The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2023
This exclusive, discrete resort (no photos allowed) consists of a series of bungalows set around a private lagoon, whose waters are protected from the waves by a rock outcropping dotted with deluxe beach chairs.
—Shannon Sims, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2020
While the iron boat badly deteriorated badly over the century it's been exposed to the elements, the scow has remained tightly fixed to a rock outcropping since August 1918.
—Jeanne Bonner, CNN, 2 Nov. 2019
Magnetic anomalies abounded in the ancient natural world, where a lightning strike on a rock outcropping was much more likely than today.
—David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, 6 Aug. 2019
On the evening of January 28, 1918, fifteen unarmed men and boys were rounded up and roped together by Texas Rangers and local ranchers, then led to a rock outcropping in the desert and shot dead.
—Steve Anderson, The New York Review of Books, 6 June 2019
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, 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, 16 Mar. 2018
Noun
On the way to visit her, New York Times journalists passed a Buddhist pagoda balanced, golden and delicate, on a rocky outcrop.
—Hannah Beech Adam Ferguson, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024
The research, recently published in Scientific Reports, focused on three rock outcrops at the Serrote do Letreiro site in Brazil.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 9 Apr. 2024
Take San Timoteo Canyon, a river valley near the San Bernardino County city of Redlands offering all the creature comforts rattlesnakes need to multiply and prosper: rock outcrops on which to bask in the sun, thickets of vegetation for camouflage, and loads of ground squirrels to feed on.
—Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Hotton made several research trips to dig for fossils from a group of rock outcrops in north central Texas called the Red Beds.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 21 Mar. 2024
Rowe, 56, came to Nevada prospecting for gold and copper, and was struck by the Ridge, a volcanic rock outcrop in the southwest part of the state.
—Christopher Helman, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
Photos taken en route showed apparent layering in the nearest outcrops.
—Scott K. Johnson, Ars Technica, 18 Sep. 2023
Hidden within the hill, in an outcrop of rock, was a group of fossils nearly 280 million years in the making.
—Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 30 Nov. 2023
The cephalopods were found near a small outcrop of rock called El Dorado Hill.
1:11
Scientists have discovered at least four new species of octopus in the deep waters of a 100-square-mile area near Costa Rica, officials from the Schmidt Ocean Institute said on Tuesday.
—Jon Haworth, ABC News, 17 Jan. 2024
Verb
Because it is situated on a limestone outcropping on the ridge of a tectonic plate, the soil contains ancient seabeds and a rich combination of minerals.
—Patricia Cohen Violette Franchi, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2023
The reefs that outcropped in Johannesburg extend deep underground, making up part of the Witwatersrand basin, a geological formation that stretches in an arc two hundred and fifty miles long.
—Kimon De Greef, The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2023
This exclusive, discrete resort (no photos allowed) consists of a series of bungalows set around a private lagoon, whose waters are protected from the waves by a rock outcropping dotted with deluxe beach chairs.
—Shannon Sims, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2020
While the iron boat badly deteriorated badly over the century it's been exposed to the elements, the scow has remained tightly fixed to a rock outcropping since August 1918.
—Jeanne Bonner, CNN, 2 Nov. 2019
Magnetic anomalies abounded in the ancient natural world, where a lightning strike on a rock outcropping was much more likely than today.
—David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, 6 Aug. 2019
On the evening of January 28, 1918, fifteen unarmed men and boys were rounded up and roped together by Texas Rangers and local ranchers, then led to a rock outcropping in the desert and shot dead.
—Steve Anderson, The New York Review of Books, 6 June 2019
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, 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, 16 Mar. 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'outcrop.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Outcrop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outcrop. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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