moraine
[ muh-reyn ]
/ məˈreɪn /
noun
a ridge, mound, or irregular mass of unstratified glacial drift, chiefly boulders, gravel, sand, and clay.
a deposit of such material left on the ground by a glacier.
Origin of moraine
1780–90; < French < Savoyard dialect
morêna rise in the ground along the lower edge of a sloping field, equivalent to
mour(o) mound, accumulation of earth (<
*murr- mound, elevation, apparently pre-Latin) +
-ena suffix of landforms, probably of pre-Latin orig.; compare Upper Italian (Piedmont)
morena heap of organic detritus, Spanish
moreña heap of stones, moraine
OTHER WORDS FROM moraine
mo·rain·al, mo·rain·ic, adjectiveWords nearby moraine
mora,
moraceous,
moradabad,
moraea,
moraga,
moraine,
moral,
moral compass,
moral hazard,
moral majority,
moral philosophy
Example sentences from the Web for morainal
British Dictionary definitions for morainal
moraine
/ (mɒˈreɪn) /
noun
a mass of debris, carried by glaciers and forming ridges and mounds when deposited
Derived forms of moraine
morainal or morainic, adjectiveWord Origin for moraine
C18: from French, from Savoy dialect
morena, of obscure origin
Scientific definitions for morainal
moraine
[ mə-rān′ ]
A mass of till (boulders, pebbles, sand, and mud) deposited by a glacier, often in the form of a long ridge. Moraines typically form because of the plowing effect of a moving glacier, which causes it to pick up rock fragments and sediments as it moves, and because of the periodic melting of the ice, which causes the glacier to deposit these materials during warmer intervals.♦ A moraine deposited in front of a glacier is a terminal moraine. ♦ A moraine deposited along the side of a glacier is a lateral moraine. ♦ A moraine deposited down the middle of a glacier is a medial moraine. Medial moraines are actually the combined lateral moraines of two glaciers that have merged.
Cultural definitions for morainal
moraine
[ (muh-rayn) ]
A pile of debris, often extending for miles, deposited by a glacier. It is composed of rock fragments transported by the ice, which are left behind when the ice melts.