Roche

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A rock or a large stone, especially one that is prominent in a landscape
2. A geological formation that serves as a natural structure
3. A term used in various contexts to describe rugged, rocky terrains or formations

Etymology: Old French "roche" and Middle English "roche" both name a rock or crag, and the English word arrived as a borrowing from that French form. English already had its own native word "rock," which comes from a different line of descent, so the two words sit side by side as near relatives. The French form is itself linked to the native English "rock" and to "roach," a word sharing the same stony root. The word is most often used for a rugged, rocky stretch of ground or a jagged outcrop. Its meaning therefore stays close to the physical stone it first named, with the sense of broken, uneven terrain growing naturally out of that picture of a hard, craggy surface.

Synonyms: rock, cliff, reef