Upthrust

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. A sudden or upward movement that rises in a forceful manner
2. a geological occurrence where strata are pushed upwards, often creating hills or mountains
3. an upward projection, frequently observed in anatomy or structures that extend vertically from a base

Etymology: "Upthrust" is a plain compound: "up" joined to "thrust," the older English word for a forceful push. Its literal sense is a push or force directed upward, and that is the sense it keeps today. In geology the term is used for the upward movement of a block of rock, and in physics for the upward force a fluid exerts on an object submerged in it, which is why the same word turns up in discussions of buoyancy. The word is a noun and a verb, and in both uses the meaning stays close to the parts it is built from. "Thrust" itself comes from Old Norse "þrýsta," meaning to press or squeeze, so the compound combines a directional prefix with a word for pressing force.

Synonyms: uplift