Escarpment

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɪˈskɑːp.mənt/

Definitions

1. A steep slope or long cliff that separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations
2. A steep rocky face or precipitous slope that forms a sharp boundary between two areas of significantly different height
3. A long, high cliff or abrupt hillside that marks a dramatic change in terrain elevation across a landscape

Etymology: "Escarpment" entered English from French "escarpement," itself formed from "escarper," meaning to cut a slope steeply. The French verb grew out of the older sense of making a bank or slope abrupt, the same military and fortification idea that gave English words like "scarp" and "escarp" their meanings. In fortifications, a scarp was the steep inner face of a ditch or rampart, carved so that attackers could not easily climb it. The word therefore began as a term for a man-made slope engineered for defence. Its natural-landscape sense, a long high cliff or abrupt hillside marking a sharp change in elevation, developed later as writers applied the same vocabulary to geological features. The French root "escarp" traces back to Italian "scarpa," a slope or bank, which connects the word to the military structures it first described.

Synonyms: cliff, precipice, ridge