cordillera
[ kawr-dl-yair-uh, -air-uh, kawr-dil-er-uh ]
/ ˌkɔr dlˈyɛər ə, -ˈɛər ə, kɔrˈdɪl ər ə /
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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, adjectiveWords nearby cordillera
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences 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 forms of cordillera
cordilleran, adjectiveWord 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
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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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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