Advertisement

Advertisement

syncline

[ sing-klahyn, sin- ]

noun

, Geology.
  1. a synclinal fold.


syncline

/ ˈsɪŋklaɪn /

noun

  1. a downward fold of stratified rock in which the strata slope towards a vertical axis Compare anticline
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


syncline

/ sĭnklīn′ /

  1. A fold of rock layers that slope upward on both sides of a common low point. Synclines form when rocks are compressed by plate-tectonic forces. They can be as small as the side of a cliff or as large as an entire valley.
  2. Compare anticline


Discover More

Derived Forms

  • synˈclinal, adjective
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of syncline1

First recorded in 1870–75; back formation from synclinal
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of syncline1

C19: from syn- + Greek klīnein to lean
Discover More

Compare Meanings

How does syncline compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Discover More

Example Sentences

When the arch is reversed, like this , it is called a syncline.

The whole mountain is part of a syncline, the beds dipping into it from the north-west and south-east.

A downfold, where the strata dip from either side toward the axis of the trough, is called a syncline (Fig. 170).

Hence the anticline noses out to the north and the syncline to the south.

In the Bembridge limestone we see the end of the Sandown anticline, and the beginning of the succeeding syncline.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


synclinalsynclinorium