Kame

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A geological feature formed by glacial deposits, usually manifesting as a hill with irregular outlines from ice activity in former glaciated landscapes
2. A mound or hill formed from the accumulation of glacial debris which often has a rough and uneven shape due to past ice movements
3. A distinct landform created by the accumulation of material left by glaciers, typically appearing as an unevenly shaped hill

Etymology: The geological term "kame" has a surprisingly ordinary origin: it is a Scots word that began as a plain description of a physical shape. It comes from Scots, which descends from Middle English "cambe", meaning "comb", the same tool used to untangle hair. The image is apt, because a kame is a ridge or mound of sand and gravel that looks like the teeth of a comb or a crest rising from the ground. The mound itself forms when meltwater streams flowing over or through a glacier deposit sediment into hollows or against the ice. When the ice melts away, that debris is left behind as an irregular heap, which is why the shape is so rough and uneven. The Scots word, borrowed into geological English, names the landform after that comb-like silhouette rather than after the ice that shaped it.