downthrow
Americannoun
noun
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the state of throwing down or being thrown down
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geology the sinking of rocks on one side of a fault plane
Etymology
Origin of downthrow
First recorded in 1605–15; noun use of verb phrase throw down
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I hold a beast, an angel and a madman in me, and my enquiry is as to their working, and my problem is their subjugation and victory, downthrow and upheaval .
From Time Magazine Archive
He believed also that the present coast-line of China has to a large extent been determined by similar faults with their downthrow on the east.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 2 "Chicago, University of" to "Chiton" by Various
Generally, the beds seem to be pulled down in the direction of the downthrow, and drawn up on the opposite side of the fault, as shewn in the diagram.
From Geology by Geikie, James
A fault of recent date may be marked at surface by a scarp, because the face of the upthrown block has not yet been worn to the level of the downthrow side.
From The Elements of Geology by Norton, William Harmon
A thrust fault with a hade of 30 degrees, showing cliffs due to harder strata outcropping on the downthrow.
From The Elements of Geology by Norton, William Harmon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
