cordillera
[ kawr-dl-yair-uh, -air-uh, kawr-dil-er-uh ]
/ ˌkɔr dlˈyɛər ə, -ˈɛər ə, kɔrˈdɪl ər ə /
noun
a chain of mountains, usually the principal mountain system or mountain axis of a large landmass.
Nearby words
Origin of cordillera
1695–1705; < Spanish, derivative of cordilla, diminutive of cuerda string, mountain range (< Latin chorda); see cord
Related formscor·dil·le·ran, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for cordillera
British Dictionary definitions for cordillera
cordillera
/ (ˌkɔːdɪlˈjɛərə) /
noun
a series of parallel ranges of mountains, esp in the northwestern US
Derived Formscordilleran, 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
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Word Origin and History for cordillera
cordillera
1704, from Spanish, "mountain chain," from cordilla, in Old Spanish "string, rope," diminutive of cuerda, from Latin chorda "cord, rope" (see cord).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Science 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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.