promontory

American  

[prom-uhn-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] / ˈprɒm ənˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i /

noun

promontories plural

1. a high point of land or rock projecting into the sea or other water beyond the line of coast; a headland.

2. a bluff, or part of a plateau, overlooking a lowland.

3. Anatomy. a prominent or protuberant part.

---

promontory British  

/ -trɪ, ˈprɒməntərɪ /

noun

1. a high point of land, esp of rocky coast, that juts out into the sea

2. anatomy any of various projecting structures

---

promontory Scientific  

/ prŏm′ən-tôr′ē /

1. A high ridge of land or a rock cliff jutting out into a body of water.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• promontories
  plural

Etymology

Origin of promontory

First recorded in 1540–50, promontory is from the Latin word prōmontorium, prōmunturium, of unclear derivation

Explanation

A promontory is a high, rocky cliff jutting into a body of water. A promontory is just the kind of thing a heroine will threaten to throw herself off of if the love of her life does not return to her. A promontory can be a foreland, headland, or rocky cliff. Think Ireland’s Cliffs of Moher jutting into the sea. Connect promontory with prominent, "important or sticking out," project, "estimate forward" and protrude, "stick out," which also carry this sense of jutting out. In anatomy, promontory can refer to a projecting part of the body.

Related Words

• bluff
• jetty