cordillera

[ kawr-dl-yair-uh, -air-uh, kawr-dil-er-uh ]

/ ˌkɔr dlˈyɛər ə, -ˈɛər ə, kɔrˈdɪl ər ə /

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See synonyms for cordillera on Thesaurus.com

noun

a chain of mountains, usually the principal mountain system or mountain axis of a large landmass.

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Origin of cordillera

First recorded in 1695–1705; from Spanish, derivative of cordilla, diminutive of cuerda “rope, string” (from Latin chorda ). Cordillera originally applied to the Andes Mountains in South America and later to the same mountain chain in Central America and Mexico; see origin at cord

OTHER WORDS FROM cordillera

cor·dil·le·ran, adjective

Words nearby cordillera

cordial, cordiality, cordially, cordierite, cordiform, cordillera, Cordillera Central, Cordillera de Talamanca, Cordillera Occidental, Cordillera Oriental, Cordillera Real

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

How to use cordillera in a sentence

Less dramatic than the alta cordillera near Santiago, here cone volcanos and old-growth forests provide a magical feeling.
7 South American Ski Resorts to Satisfy Your Summer Powder Craving|POM Administrator|July 22, 2022|Outside Online
Moreover, the passes in ascending the Andes and Cordillera can only be correctly imagined by experienced travellers.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2)|Francis Trevithick
The mines which yield this metal are on the southern declivity, close to the road leading down from the Cordillera.
Travels in Peru, on the Coast, in the Sierra, Across the Cordilleras and the Andes, into the Primeval Forests|J. J. von Tschudi
The Cordillera, in the neighborhood of Yauli, is exceedingly rich in lead ore, containing silver.
Travels in Peru, on the Coast, in the Sierra, Across the Cordilleras and the Andes, into the Primeval Forests|J. J. von Tschudi

Not so the Indians of the higher mountains eastward of the Cordillera.
Travels in Peru, on the Coast, in the Sierra, Across the Cordilleras and the Andes, into the Primeval Forests|J. J. von Tschudi
About a league beyond Acchahuari the valley is bounded by the principal chain of the Cordillera.
Travels in Peru, on the Coast, in the Sierra, Across the Cordilleras and the Andes, into the Primeval Forests|J. J. von Tschudi

British Dictionary definitions for cordillera

cordillera

/ (ˌkɔːdɪlˈjɛərə) /

noun

a series of parallel ranges of mountains, esp in the northwestern US

Derived forms of cordillera

cordilleran, adjective

Word Origin for cordillera

C18: from Spanish, from cordilla, literally: a little cord, from cuerda mountain range, cord

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

Scientific definitions for cordillera

cordillera

[ kôr′dl-yâr′ə ]

A long and wide chain of mountains, especially the main mountain range of a large landmass. Cordilleras can include the valleys, basins, rivers, lakes, plains, and plateaus between parallel chains of a single mountain system, or they can consist solely of a string of connected mountain peaks.

cordillera

Origin of cordillera

OTHER WORDS FROM cordillera

Words nearby cordillera

Words related to cordillera

How to use cordillera in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cordillera

Derived forms of cordillera

Word Origin for cordillera

Scientific definitions for cordillera