esker
[ es-ker ]
/ ˈɛs kər /
noun Geology.
a serpentine ridge of gravelly and sandy drift, believed to have been formed by streams under or in glacial ice.
Nearby words
esher, eshkol, eshkol, levi, esidrix, esk., esker, eskilstuna, eskimo, eskimo curlew, eskimo dog, eskimo pie
Origin of esker
First recorded in 1850–55, esker is from the Irish word eiscir ridge of mountains
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Examples from the Web for esker
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
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Word Origin and History for esker
esker
"deposit left by a glacial stream," 1852, from Irish eiscir "ridge of gravel."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Science 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
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.