roche moutonnée

American  

[rohsh moot-n-ey, rawsh moo-taw-ney] / ˈroʊʃ ˌmut nˈeɪ, rɔʃ mu tɔˈneɪ /

noun

Geology.

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

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roche moutonnée British  

/ ˈrəʊʃ ˌmuːtəˈneɪ /

noun

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

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roche moutonnée Scientific  

/ 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).

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Etymology

Origin of roche moutonnée

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

Example Sentences

In addition to these polished, striated, and grooved surfaces of rock, another mark of the former action of a glacier is the "roche moutonnee."

From Project Gutenberg