graben

[ grah-buhn ]

noun

a portion of the earth's crust, bounded on at least two sides by faults, that has dropped downward in relation to adjacent portions.

Origin of graben

1895–1900; <German: ditch

Also called rift valley.

Compare horst.

Words Nearby graben

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use graben in a sentence

Trotsky, Stalin, and Hitler were all in Vienna in 1913, so maybe they did pass within 10 feet of each other walking down graben.
William Boyd on James Bond and His New Novel, Waiting for Sunrise | Lucy Scholes | April 19, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
"That old tree with the iron hoop around it, at the corner of the graben," replied her companion.
Our Little Austrian Cousin | Florence E. Mendel
But on their left the progress of the 3rd Division had been delayed by a formidable trench system known as the Fabeck graben.
Canada in Flanders, Volume III (of 3) | Charles G. D. Roberts
The dusk of the evening saw Milor in the dress of a porter, pacing the graben with a steady step.
A Tramp's Wallet | William Duthie
Lately up have I them graben, and likewise his tutelar Sphynx have found, and have even to give signs of animation compelled.'
The Two Sides of the Shield | Charlotte M. Yonge

Stafforth escorted Wilhelmine to his coach, which waited to convey her to the house in the graben.
A German Pompadour | Marie Hay

British Dictionary definitions for graben

graben

/ (ˈɡrɑːbən) /

noun

an elongated trough of land produced by subsidence of the earth's crust between two faults

Origin of graben

C19: from German, from Old High German graban to dig

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 graben

graben

[ grä′bən ]

A usually elongated block of rock that is bounded by parallel geologic faults along its two longest sides, and has a lower elevation than the rock at its sides. Grabens form where rock is being pulled apart by tectonic forces. The East African Rift Valley is a graben.

Browse