roche moutonnée
[ rohsh -moot-n-ey; French rawsh moo-taw-ney ]
/ ˈroʊʃ ˌmut nˈeɪ; French rɔʃ mu tɔˈneɪ /
noun Geology.
a rounded, glacially eroded rock outcrop, usually one of a group, resembling a sheep's back.
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Also called sheepback rock.
Origin of roche moutonnée
1835–45; <French: glaciated rock, literally, fleecy rock
Words nearby roche moutonnée
Roche limit, Rochelle, Rochelle powder, Rochelle powders, Rochelle salt, roche moutonnée, Rochester, rochet, rock, rockabilly, rock-a-bye
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
British Dictionary definitions for roche moutonnée
roche moutonnée
/ (ˈrəʊʃ ˌmuːtəˈneɪ) /
noun plural roches moutonnées (ˈrəʊʃ ˌmuːtəˈneɪz)
a rounded mass of rock smoothed and striated by ice that has flowed over it
Word Origin for roche moutonnée
C19: French, literally: fleecy rock, from mouton sheep
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Scientific definitions for roche moutonnée
roche moutonnée
[ rôsh′ mōōt′n-ā′, mōō′tô-nā′ ]
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).
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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