Ridge

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɹɪd͡ʒ/

Definitions

1. A long narrow elevation of land or a sharp raised line formed where two sloping surfaces meet
2. A long narrow raised strip of land that often delineates different landscapes or serves as a boundary between descending terrains
3. An extended narrow top of a mountain or hill range that stands higher than the surrounding land and often divides watersheds

Etymology: The most surprising thing about "ridge" is that its original sense was not land at all but the human back. Old English "hryċġ" meant "back, spine, ridge, elevated surface," and the same root gave Dutch "rug," German "Rücken," and Swedish "rygg," all still meaning "back" in some form. A long raised line of land was seen as the spine of the landscape, so the body part lent its shape to the terrain. The root goes back further, to a Proto-Germanic word for "back" that itself likely connects to an Indo-European idea of turning or bending. That sense of curvature fits a spine, and by extension a crest of hills. Middle English shifted the spelling to "rigge" and "rygge," and the modern form took shape from there.

Synonyms: hill, mountain range, crest, elevation, prominence

Antonyms: valley, depression, lowland, flat, plain