Cordilleras

[kawr-dl-yair-uhz, -air-, kawr-dil-er-uhz, kawr-thee-ye-rahs]

noun

1. a mountain system in western South America: the Andes and its component ranges.

2. a mountain system in western North America, including the Sierra Nevada, Coast Range, Cascade Range, and Rocky Mountains.

3. the entire chain of mountain ranges parallel to the Pacific coast, extending from Cape Horn to Alaska.

Cordilleras

/ korðiˈʎeras, ˌkɔːdɪlˈjɛərəz /

plural noun

1. the complex of mountain ranges on the W side of the Americas, extending from Alaska to Cape Horn and including the Andes and the Rocky Mountains

Other Word Forms

• Cordilleran adjective
• trans-Cordilleran adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Cordilleras¹

First recorded in 1700–10, in reference to the Andes; cordillera ( def. )