geosynclinal

American  

[jee-oh-sin-klahyn-l] / ˌdʒi oʊ sɪnˈklaɪn l /

adjective

1. Geology. pertaining to a synclinal fold that involves a relatively large part of the earth's surface.

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Etymology

Origin of geosynclinal

First recorded in 1870–75; geo- + synclinal

Example Sentences

Extensive geosynclinal deposits exist around much of the coastline of most of the continents; there is a large geosyncline along the eastern edge of North America.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

The work of De Montessus showed that over 94 per cent. of all recorded shocks lie in the geosynclinal belts.

From The Birth-Time of the World and Other Scientific Essays by Joly, John