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foothill

American  
[foot-hil] / ˈfʊtˌhɪl /

noun

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


foothill British  
/ ˈfʊtˌhɪl /

noun

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of foothill

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

Vocabulary lists containing foothill

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.

It was built by volunteers from Sierra Madre, a small foothill town that narrowly escaped the worst of the Eaton fire, which destroyed swaths of Altadena in January.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2025

The controversy over the Club America chapter at Twelve Bridges has roiled the community of Lincoln, a foothill city about 25 miles northeast of Sacramento.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2025

Mountain and foothill areas could see up to 3½ inches of rain.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 12, 2025

The same can be said for the surrounding foothill communities, such as La Cañada Flintridge or Sierra Madre, where a dry, windy day could put them at the same risk for disaster.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2025

Two hundred yards this side of our home, the road made a turn around a low foothill shutting our house off from view.

From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls

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