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.
Nearby words
rochalimaea, rochambeau, rochdale, roche alum, roche limit, roche moutonnée, roche-sur-yon, la, rochelle, rochelle powder, rochelle powders, rochelle salt
Origin of roche moutonnée
1835–45; < French: glaciated rock, literally, fleecy rock
Also called sheepback rock.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for roche moutonnee
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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Science definitions for roche moutonnee
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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