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

See Examples For:

hanging wall

In a dip-slip system, the footwall is below the fault plane and the hanging wall is above the fault plane.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2017

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

Only a small portion of the hanging wall was visible at the entrance, as the shaft went immediately into the very heart of the broad vein.

From The Squatter and the Don by Loyal, C.