Peneplains

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A broad, relatively flat landform formed through the erosion of uplifted areas, resulting in a landscape characterized by minimal relief
2. The result of extensive weathering and sedimentation, leading to a surface that is gently sloping at times and nearly level at others
3. Regions shaped by lasting geological processes that create extensive plains, often found in association with river systems and sediment deposition

Etymology: Peneplain is a geological term coined in 1899 by the American geologist William Morris Davis, who built it from the Latin "paene," meaning "almost," and "plain." The original sense is a nearly flat land surface that erosion has worn down almost to base level, which is why the word is often glossed as "almost-plain." Davis proposed the idea as the final stage of his cycle of landscape development, in which rivers gradually reduce mountains to low, subdued terrain. The plural form "peneplains" is simply the regular English plural of this noun, referring to several such surfaces, often at different elevations, each one a remnant of an earlier erosion cycle.