mesa

¹ American  

[mey-suh] / ˈmeɪ sə /

noun

1. a land formation, less extensive than a plateau, having steep walls and a relatively flat top and common in arid and semiarid parts of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico.

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Mesa ² American  

[mey-suh] / ˈmeɪ sə /

noun

1. a city in central Arizona, near Phoenix.

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mesa British  

/ ˈmeɪsə /

noun

1. a flat tableland with steep edges, common in the southwestern US

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mesa Scientific  

/ mā′sə /

1. An area of high land with a flat top and two or more steep, clifflike sides. Mesas are larger than buttes and smaller than plateaus, and are common in the southwest United States.

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Etymology

Origin of mesa

1750–60, < Spanish: table < Latin mēnsa

Example Sentences

Washington, Utah, located just southwest of Zion National Park, is surrounded by cinematic mesas and has long been a hub for exploring the natural wonders of the American west.

From BBC

Foothills and valleys, groves and canyons, even the mesas, plateaus and plains of the Sierra and the Central Valley — Lehrer calls all of it a “choreography of place.”

From Los Angeles Times

It has one narrow runway perched high on a mesa with steep cliffs at either end tumbling 1,600 feet to the deep blue Pacific Ocean.

From Los Angeles Times

According to Oder, the backyard, which features uninterrupted mesa views, is now “the best part” of their property.

From Los Angeles Times

In Taos, Zappa has found a measure of solace in the stark beauty of its mesas and snow-capped mountains.

From Los Angeles Times