orogeny

[ aw-roj-uh-nee, oh-roj- ]

nounGeology.
  1. the process of mountain making or upheaval.

Origin of orogeny

1
First recorded in 1885–90; oro-1 + -geny
  • Also called or·o·gen·e·sis [awr-uh-jen-uh-sis, or-uh-]. /ˌɔr əˈdʒɛn ə sɪs, ˌɒr ə-/.

Other words from orogeny

  • or·o·gen·ic [awr-uh-jen-ik, or-uh-], /ˌɔr əˈdʒɛn ɪk, ˌɒr ə-/, or·o·ge·net·ic, adjective

Words Nearby orogeny

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

British Dictionary definitions for orogeny

orogeny

orogenesis (ˌɒrəʊˈdʒɛnɪsɪs)

/ (ɒˈrɒdʒɪnɪ) /


noun
  1. the formation of mountain ranges by intense upward displacement of the earth's crust, usually associated with folding, thrust faulting, and other compressional processes

Derived forms of orogeny

  • orogenic (ˌɒrəʊˈdʒɛnɪk) or orogenetic (ˌɒrəʊdʒɪˈnɛtɪk), adjective
  • orogenically or orogenetically, adverb

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 orogeny

orogeny

[ ô-rŏjə-nē ]


  1. The process of mountain formation, especially by folding and faulting of the Earth's crust and by plastic folding, metamorphism, and the intrusion of magmas in the lower parts of the lithosphere. Unlike epeirogeny, orogeny usually affects smaller regions and is associated with evidence of folding and faulting. The long chains of mountains often seen on the edges of continents form through orogeny.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.