cliff
[ klif ]
noun
a high steep face of a rock.
a critical point or situation beyond which something bad or undesirable may occur: The committee is right up to the cliff with no deal in sight.
Origin of cliff
1before 900; Middle English clif,Old English, cognate with Dutch, Low German, Old Norse klif
Other words for cliff
Other words from cliff
- clifflike, adjective
British Dictionary definitions for cliff
cliff
/ (klɪf) /
noun
a steep high rock face, esp one that runs along the seashore and has the strata exposed
Origin of cliff
1Old English clif; related to Old Norse kleif, Middle Low German klēf, Dutch klif; see cleave ²
Derived forms of cliff
- cliffy, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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