Massif Central

American  

[ma-seef sahn-tral] / ma sif sɑ̃ˈtral /

noun

1. a great plateau and the chief water divide of France, in the central part.

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Massif Central British  

/ masif sɑ̃tral /

noun

1. a mountainous plateau region of S central France, occupying about one sixth of the country: contains several extinct volcanic cones, notably Puy de Dôme, 1465 m (4806 ft). Highest point: Puy de Sancy, 1886 m (6188 ft). Area: about 85 000 sq km (33 000 sq miles)

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Example Sentences

The road into the village of Olliergues, two hours' drive outside Lyon, winds through the foothills of the Massif Central to a picturesque basin of old stone houses, overlooked by a small château.

From BBC • Jan. 11, 2023

With its constant ups and downs, the stage profile through the Massif Central was ideal for a breakaway.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 16, 2022

Their activity has been particularly robust in France’s “empty diagonal,” a band of low-density settlement that stretches from the Massif Central, in the south, to Lorraine, in the northeast.

From The New Yorker • Jun. 24, 2019

He was a shepherd from France’s Massif Central and could have avoided the war as a family breadwinner at age 36.

From Washington Times • Nov. 8, 2018

Its most striking feature is the mountainous and eruptive area known as the Massif Central, which covers south-central France.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 7 "Fox, George" to "France" by Various