cordillera

American  

[kawr-dl-yair-uh, -air-uh, kawr-dil-er-uh] / ˌkɔr dlˈyɛər ə, -ˈɛər ə, kɔrˈdɪl ər ə /

noun

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

---

cordillera British  

/ ˌkɔːdɪlˈjɛərə /

noun

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

---

cordillera Scientific  

/ kôr′dl-yâr′ə /

1. 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.

---

Other Word Forms

• cordilleran adjective

Etymology

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; cord

Example Sentences

A gaucho, who had guided an English hunter from Punta Arenas up into the cordillera, said one shot of the Englishman's rifle one day killed over a hundred guanacos in this way.

From Project Gutenberg

The silver mines of Potosi, the virgin forests, and mighty cordilleras of South America, are words familiar and full of interest to European ears.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• sierra