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esker
[ es-ker ]
/ ˈɛs kər /
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noun Geology.
a serpentine ridge of gravelly and sandy drift, believed to have been formed by streams under or in glacial ice.
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Origin of esker
First recorded in 1850–55, esker is from the Irish word eiscir ridge of mountains
Words nearby esker
Eshkol, Esidrix, e-signature, -esis, Esk., esker, Eskilstuna, Eskimo, Eskimo-Aleut, Eskimo curlew, Eskimo dog
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use esker in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for esker
esker
eskar (ˈɛskɑː, -kə)
/ (ˈɛskə) /
noun
a long winding ridge of gravel, sand, etc, originally deposited by a meltwater stream running under a glacierAlso called: os
Word Origin for esker
C19: from Old Irish escir ridge
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for esker
esker
[ ĕs′kər ]
A long, narrow, steep-sided ridge of coarse sand and gravel deposited by a stream flowing in or under a melting sheet of glacial ice. Eskers range in height from 3 m (9.8 ft) to more than 200 m (656 ft) and in length from less than 100 m (328 ft) to more than 500 km (310 mi).
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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