Escarpment Definition & Meaning

American

British

Scientific

Etymology

Examples

Synonyms escarpment American [ih-skahrp-muhnt] / ɪˈskɑrp mənt /

noun

1. Geology. a long, precipitous, clifflike ridge of land, rock, or the like, commonly formed by faulting or fracturing of the earth's crust.

2. ground cut into an escarp around a fortification or defensive position.

escarpment British / ɪˈskɑːpmənt /

noun

1. 1. the long continuous steep face of a ridge or plateau formed by erosion; scarp

   2. any steep slope, such as one resulting from faulting

2. a steep artificial slope immediately in front of the rampart of a fortified place

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 escarpment Scientific / ĭ-skärp′mənt /

1. A steep slope or long cliff formed by erosion or by vertical movement of the Earth's crust along a fault. Escarpments separate two relatively level areas of land. The term is often used interchangeably with scarp but is more accurately associated with cliffs produced by erosional processes rather than those produced by faulting.

Etymology

Origin of escarpment

From the French word escarpement, dating back to 1795–1805. See escarp, -ment

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The escarpment is a line of cliffs and steep hills created by a geologic fault.

From Salon

The site's location on the lip of a south-facing escarpment in the middle of Somerset was carefully chosen.

From BBC

Hike back down the Beach Trail from the visitors center through chaparral and sandy bluffs to the shore at Flat Rock, where rain has eroded deep arroyos into the 300-foot sandstone escarpments.

From Los Angeles Times

That allowed us more modern digs and a lovely deck overlooking a large pond and a stunning view of Winter Rim, a 3,000-foot escarpment to the west.

From Seattle Times

“Everyone had work, and children stayed here instead of going abroad,” Mr. Bulkhak said, gesturing at the now mostly empty village from an escarpment overlooking the valley.

From New York Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.