noun
mesa
MAY-suh/ˈmeɪsə/
A flat-topped hill or plateau with steep sides.
A broad mesa rises above the desert, with steep, rocky sides.
Etymology
The underlying image is a table: a mesa's broad, flat top resembles a tabletop raised above its surroundings. Spanish used its word for “table” for this kind of landform.
In context
Plateaus are large, flat, elevated areas, while mesa are smaller, isolated, flat, topped hills with steep cliffs.
More examples
- The trail climbs to the flat top of the mesa.
- Several mesas stand between the canyon and the distant mountains.
- We camped below the steep edge of a mesa.
Forms
mesa · mesas