scarp

American  

[skahrp] / skɑrp /

noun

1. a line of cliffs formed by the faulting or fracturing of the earth's crust; an escarpment.

2. Fortification. an escarp.

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verb (used with object)

1. to form or cut into a steep slope.

scarp British  

/ skɑːp /

noun

1. a steep slope, esp one formed by erosion or faulting; escarpment See also cuesta

2. fortifications the side of a ditch cut nearest to and immediately below a rampart

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verb

1. (tr; often passive) to wear or cut so as to form a steep slope

scarp Scientific  

/ skärp /

1. A continuous line of cliffs produced by vertical movement of the Earth's crust along a fault or by erosion. The term is often used interchangeably with escarpment but is more accurately associated with cliffs produced by faulting rather than those produced by erosional processes.

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Etymology

Origin of scarp

First recorded in 1580–90, scarp is from the Italian word scarpa a slope. See escarp

Example Sentences

Stewart hasn’t visited the site, but said a large head scarp, which marks the top of a landslide, is visible in photos of the area, “indicating substantial movement” that could have ruptured the pipeline.

From Los Angeles Times

"The conclusion we came to is: don't build right on top of a scarp, or recently active fault. The farther away from a scarp, the lesser the hazard."

From Science Daily

“Landslide movement continues to manifest at the ground surface in the form of scarps, fissures, grabens/sinkholes, tensional cracking, shear zones and thrust features,” the city’s latest report said.

From Los Angeles Times

But our team found unambiguous signs that many scarps have continued to move in geologically recent times, even if they were initiated billions of years ago.

From Salon

The Saddle Mountain quake broke the ground with a 24-foot-tall scarp that blocked a drainage and created Price Lake, drowning trees as the water rose.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• bluff
• crag
• precipice
• wall