foothill

[ foot-hil ]

noun

1. a low hill at the base of a mountain or mountain range.

foothill

/ ˈfʊtˌhɪl /

noun

1. often plural a lower slope of a mountain or a relatively low hill at the foot of a mountain

Word History and Origins

Origin of foothill¹

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50; foot + hill

Example Sentences

We’re still in the foothills of what’s in the pipeline to come from Christmas and New Year.

From Time

San Diego’s mountains and foothills, which typically record the strongest Santa Ana winds, are at high risk for powerline fires.

From Voice of San Diego

Diosady and Mannar’s DFS was given to 212 female tea pickers on an estate in Darjeeling, a lush green region in West Bengal, in the foothills of the Himalaya mountains.

From MIT Technology Review

To capture this photograph—the first ever to show one of the species eating—Culebras trekked through the foothills in pouring rain for four hours.

From Popular-Science

Until I moved to the foothills, where they grow in abundance, I’d never really taken notice of them.

From Outside Online

Miramar is a suburb of Santa Barbara, as is Montecito, another charming foothill site for country homes.

From Project Gutenberg

The foothill counties, tributary to the great interior valley, are rich in gold and other minerals.

From Project Gutenberg

None of these places can be identified as connected with the foothill or plains area bordering the Bay.

From Project Gutenberg

This desert verdure was what lent the soft gray shade to the foothill when seen from a distance.

From Project Gutenberg

Upon Carley's return to the cabin she found Stanton and Flo waiting for her to accompany them on a ride up the foothill.

From Project Gutenberg