corrie

American  

[kawr-ee, kor-ee] / ˈkɔr i, ˈkɒr i /

noun

Scot.

1. a circular hollow in the side of a hill or mountain.

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corrie British  

/ ˈkɒrɪ /

noun

1. geology another name for cirque

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Etymology

Origin of corrie

First recorded in 1785–95, corrie is from the Scots Gaelic word coire cauldron, whirlpool, hollow

Explanation

A corrie is a bowl-shaped indentation in the side or top of a mountain. Corries are formed by glaciers, and they often turn into small lakes over time as they fill with water. Another name for a corrie is a cirque. These landforms are commonly described as "natural amphitheaters," based on their round, concave shape. It takes glacial ice flowing in different directions to gradually carve a corrie from mountain rock. The deep basin then catches any melting water and forms a lake known as a tarn. Corrie comes from the Scottish Gaelic coire, "pot or cauldron."

Example Sentences

The Sphinx lies in Garbh Choire Mor, a hollow known as a corrie formed by ice or a glacier during the last ice age.

From BBC • Oct. 8, 2022

After following a five-pointer stag for over four hours, they had it trapped in a corrie.

From Time Magazine Archive

The shepherd called his dog— "Keeper, you tak the sheep to the Cruchan corrie, and dinna let are o' them stray."

From Scottish sketches by Barr, Amelia Edith Huddleston

"Perhaps—perhaps it's all because this is the end instead of the beginning of a cultus corrie."

From Told In The Hills by Ryan, Marah Ellis

The corrie behind me was lit up with the westering sun, and the bald cliffs were flushed with pink and gold.

From Mr. Standfast by Buchan, John