mesa

¹

[mey-suh]

noun

1. a land formation, less extensive than a plateau, having steep walls and a relatively flat top and common in arid and semiarid parts of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico.

Mesa

²

[mey-suh]

noun

1. a city in central Arizona, near Phoenix.

mesa

/ ˈmeɪsə /

noun

1. a flat tableland with steep edges, common in the southwestern US

mesa

1. An area of high land with a flat top and two or more steep, clifflike sides. Mesas are larger than buttes and smaller than plateaus, and are common in the southwest United States.

Word History and Origins

Origin of mesa¹

1750–60, < Spanish: table < Latin mēnsa

Word History and Origins

Origin of mesa¹

from Spanish: table

Example Sentences

Washington, Utah, located just southwest of Zion National Park, is surrounded by cinematic mesas and has long been a hub for exploring the natural wonders of the American west.

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Foothills and valleys, groves and canyons, even the mesas, plateaus and plains of the Sierra and the Central Valley — Lehrer calls all of it a “choreography of place.”

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It has one narrow runway perched high on a mesa with steep cliffs at either end tumbling 1,600 feet to the deep blue Pacific Ocean.

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According to Oder, the backyard, which features uninterrupted mesa views, is now “the best part” of their property.

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In Taos, Zappa has found a measure of solace in the stark beauty of its mesas and snow-capped mountains.

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