loess

[ loh-es, les, luhs ]
/ ˈloʊ ɛs, lɛs, lʌs /

noun

a loamy deposit formed by wind, usually yellowish and calcareous, common in the Mississippi Valley and in Europe and Asia.

Origin of loess

1825–35; < German Löss < Swiss German lösch loose, slack ( sch taken as a dial. equivalent of German s), akin to German lose loose

OTHER WORDS FROM loess

lo·ess·i·al, lo·ess·al, adjective

Words nearby loess

loe, loeb, loeb's deciduoma, loeffler, loerie, loess, loesser, loew, loewe, loewi, loewy

British Dictionary definitions for loessial

loess
/ (ˈləʊɪs, German lœs) /

noun

a light-coloured fine-grained accumulation of clay and silt particles that have been deposited by the wind

Derived forms of loess

loessial (ləʊˈɛsɪəl) or loessal, adjective

Word Origin for loess

C19: from German Löss, from Swiss German dialect lösch loose

Scientific definitions for loessial

loess
[ lō′əs, lĕs, lŭs ]

A very fine grained silt or clay, thought to have formed as the result of grinding by glaciers and to have been deposited by the wind. Most loess is believed to have originated during the Pleistocene Epoch from areas of land covered by glaciers and from desert surfaces.