Upthrowing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The act of throwing something upward to a higher position or elevation; a specific instance of propelling an object into the air with force; a geological process involving the upward movement of rock layers due to tectonic activity
2. A motion characterized by casting or hurling an item upward towards a greater height; the instance in which an item is elevated into the atmosphere through forceful action; a structural shift in the Earth's crust resulting in raised formations
3. The process of launching an object into the sky with force directed upwards; a single event of elevating an object by throwing it; a phenomenon wherein geological formations are elevated due to internal Earth movements

Etymology: "Upthrowing" is the present participle and gerund of "upthrow," so the word's history is really the history of its verb. "Upthrow" comes from Middle English "upthrowen," formed from "up" and "throw," so the sense of hurling something upward is built directly into its parts. The Old English root of "throw" originally meant to twist or turn, and only later narrowed to the act of flinging, which means the upward motion here is simply the older verb with a directional prefix added. The geological sense, the elevation of rock formations by forces inside the Earth, grows out of the same idea of raising something from below. Its use in the rising of land is a figurative extension of lifting by force, applied to mountains and ridges rather than to a thrown stone.

Synonyms: ejection, expulsion