Tableland

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An elevated flat-topped area of land at high altitude, typically bounded by steep cliffs or escarpments on one or more sides
2. A broad, high plateau characterized by relatively level terrain surrounded by sharply descending slopes or cliff faces
3. A high and flat landform often found in elevated regions, typically featuring steep edges or abrupt drops on one or more sides

Etymology: "Tableland" is a plain compound: "table" joined to "land." The sense is the one the first element supplies. A table is a flat, level surface, and a tableland is a stretch of country that is flat on top while standing well above the ground around it, usually edged by steep slopes or cliffs. The image is of a raised, level surface, like a tabletop lifted off the floor. The word therefore works by analogy rather than by any special technical history. English speakers had long used "table" for a flat surface, and "land" for a region of ground, so putting the two together gave a ready name for an elevated plateau. The compound is transparent enough that its meaning can be read straight from its parts.

Synonyms: plateau, highland, upland