roche moutonnée

[ rohsh moot-n-ey; French rawsh moo-taw-ney ]

noun

, Geology.

1. a rounded, glacially eroded rock outcrop, usually one of a group, resembling a sheep's back.

roche moutonnée

/ ˈrəʊʃ ˌmuːtəˈneɪ /

noun

1. a rounded mass of rock smoothed and striated by ice that has flowed over it

roche moutonnée

/ rôsh′mo̅o̅t′n-ā′,mo̅o̅′tô-nā′ /

1. An elongate mound of bedrock worn smooth and rounded by glacial abrasion. A roche moutonnée has a long axis parallel to the direction of glacial movement, a gently sloping, striated side facing the direction from which the glacier originated, and a steeper side facing the direction of glacial movement. The height, length, and width of roche moutonnées are on the order of a few meters (tens of feet).

Word History and Origins

Origin of roche moutonnée¹

1835–45; < French: glaciated rock, literally, fleecy rock

Word History and Origins

Origin of roche moutonnée¹

C19: French, literally: fleecy rock, from mouton sheep