DictionarybluffSteep bank
noun

bluff

A high, steep bank or cliff.

The house stands on a bluff above the river.

Etymology

The noun grew from an adjective describing something broad, blunt, or presenting a steep face. Applied to a riverbank or headland, that description became the name of the landform itself.

More examples

  • They climbed the steep bluff.
  • A trail follows the edge of the bluff.
  • Several bluffs rise along the coast.

Forms

bluff · bluffs

Similar words

cliff
A high steep rock face.
bank
Raised ground beside water.