barranca

[ buh-rang-kuh; Spanish bahr-rahng-kah ]

/ bəˈræŋ kə; Spanish bɑrˈrɑŋ kɑ /

Save This Word!

noun, plural bar·ran·cas

[buh-rang-kuhz; Spanish bahr-rahng-kahs]. /bəˈræŋ kəz; Spanish bɑrˈrɑŋ kɑs/.

a steep-walled ravine or gorge.

a gully with steep sides; arroyo.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of barranca

First recorded in 1685–95; from Spanish, variant of barranco, of obscure, probably pre-Latin origin

Words nearby barranca

barrage, barrage balloon, Barra Mansa, barramunda, barramundi, barranca, Barrancabermeja, Barranquilla, Barras, barrator, barratry

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use barranca in a sentence

A gully cut through the walls of the barranca at a sharp angle, and the pack-trail followed the bottom of the depression.
Motor Matt's Daring, or, True to His Friends|Stanley R. Matthews
Before the barranca and the Black Caon were reached, a quivering line of gray had run along the tops of the eastern hills.
Motor Matt's Daring, or, True to His Friends|Stanley R. Matthews
It was now agreed that we should all ride down the side of the barranca together, until we could find a place to descend into it.
The Desert Home|Mayne Reid
It was a bright July morning four months after that fatal fight in the Spanish barranca.
The White Company|Arthur Conan Doyle

Right on up the barranca—towards the mountains—and they did not stop for food.
The Wolf Cub|Patrick Casey

British Dictionary definitions for barranca

barranca

barranco (bəˈræŋkəʊ)

/ (bəˈræŋkə) /

noun plural -cas or -cos

Southwestern US a ravine or precipice

Word Origin for barranca

C19: from Spanish, of uncertain origin

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