hanging wall

American  

noun

1. Mining. the underside of the wall rock overlying a vein or bed of ore.

2. Geology. a mass of rock overhanging a fault plane.

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hanging wall British  

noun

1. the rocks on the upper side of an inclined fault plane or mineral vein Compare footwall

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hanging wall Scientific  

1. The block of rock lying above an inclined geologic fault plane.

2. See more at fault Compare footwall

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Etymology

Origin of hanging wall

First recorded in 1770–80

Compare meaning

How does hanging-wall compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• hanging wall vs. footwall

Example Sentences

Normal faults form when the hanging wall moves down relative to the footwall.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017

In reverse faults, compressional forces cause the hanging wall to move up relative to the footwall.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017

Her “Totems” are mostly hanging wall pieces, although one of them is a free-standing grove of six bamboo stalks.

From Washington Post • Sep. 3, 2015

The body of rock above the fault is called the hanging wall, and the body of rock below it is called the footwall.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

Normal faults, of which Figure 184 is an example, hade to the downthrow; the hanging wall has gone down.

From The Elements of Geology by Norton, William Harmon