hanging valley

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noun

a valley, the lower end of which opens high above a shore, usually caused by the rapid erosion of a cliff.

a tributary valley whose mouth is set above the the floor of the main valley, usually as a result of differences in glacial erosion.

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Origin of hanging valley

First recorded in 1895–1900

Words nearby hanging valley

hanging pawn, hanging post, hanging scroll, hanging step, hanging stile, hanging valley, hanging wall, hang in the balance, hang it, hang loose, hangman

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

How to use hanging valley in a sentence

But the people from Valley Stream had such a thick New York accent that was all around me.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Some “hanging judges” have handed down hundreds of death sentences at a time.
Amal Clooney vs. Egypt’s Courts|Christopher Dickey|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
One is forced to ask, what on earth was Andrew doing hanging out with scantily clad teenagers?
Buckingham Palace Disputes Sex Allegations Against Prince ‘Randy Andy’|Tom Sykes|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The region is marketed for visitors as “Aryan Valley,” and many citizens have taken to tacking on “Aryan” to their last names.
The Himalayas’ Hidden Aryans|Nina Strochlic|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The first day of Liberty, I was hanging around waiting for Ford to come in.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
San Antonio de Bexar lies in a fertile and well-irrigated valley, stretching westward from the river Salado.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
The dog stood with hanging head and tail, as if ashamed he had let so many of his enemies get away unharmed.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
The latter went immediately to look for his wife, and found her hidden in an attic, hanging to a beam.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
When it cleared, the valley was a solid expanse of white, and the stars shone out as if in an Arctic sky.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
At the foot of the pass, the valley widened a little, though still with steep, snow-capped cliffs crowding it on either side.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley

British Dictionary definitions for hanging valley

hanging valley

noun

geography a tributary valley entering a main valley at a much higher level because of overdeepening of the main valley, esp by glacial erosion

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 hanging valley

hanging valley

[ hăng′ĭng ]

A side valley that enters a main valley at an elevation high above the main valley floor. Hanging valleys are typically formed when the main valley has been widened and deepened by glacial erosion, leaving the side valley cut off abruptly from the main valley below. The steep drop from the hanging valley to the main valley floor usually creates cascading waterfalls.