noun

hoodoo

A tall, thin rock spire formed by erosion.

A hoodoo rose like a narrow tower above the desert floor.

Etymology

Hoodoo was already associated with uncanny or supernatural power. Its geological use gives that evocative name to unusually shaped rock pillars created by erosion.

More examples

  • The trail wound between orange hoodoos.
  • A harder cap of rock protected the top of the hoodoo.
  • Erosion had carved the hillside into a cluster of hoodoos.

Forms

hoodoo · hoodoos

Similar words

spire
Spire broadly names a pointed tower or peak; a hoodoo is a particular eroded rock column.
butte
A butte is a broad isolated hill with steep sides; a hoodoo is a slender eroded column.