noun
escarpment
ih-SKARP-munt/ɪˈskɑːrpmənt/
A long, steep slope or cliff separating areas of land at different heights.
A steep escarpment separates the high plateau from the valley below.
Etymology
Escarper means “make into a steep slope”; escarpment names the steep face itself. The underlying slope word also appears in scarp, formerly used for the sloping side of a fortification ditch.
In context
during a long walk through the simian mountains in northern Ethiopia we rested for a moment on top of high escarpment overlooking a green valley
More examples
- The trail follows the base of the escarpment for several miles.
- Waterfalls plunge over the escarpment into the lowlands.
- The map shows two escarpments along the plateau's eastern edge.
Forms
escarpment · escarpments
Similar words
- cliff
- Often more nearly vertical and not necessarily long.
- bluff
- Usually a broad, steep bank beside a river or coast.