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Glite Dictionary
peneplane

peneplane

9.9
A nearly flat land surface formed by many years of being worn away by wind and water
  • noun
  • Specialized
: peneplano
  • Geologists believe the ancient landscape is a peneplane formed by millions of years of erosion.

Examples

  • A true peneplane is rare because tectonic activity often interrupts the erosion process.

  • The coastal region features a vast peneplane stretching for miles with only slight undulations.

  • The peneplane stretched for miles across the landscape.

  • Many geologists study the formation of peneplains in their research.

  • Geologists believe the ancient landscape is a peneplane formed by millions of years of erosion.

  • The coastal region features a vast peneplane stretching for miles with only slight undulations.

  • Many geologists study the formation of peneplains in their research.

Synonyms

landform
vspeneplane
  • Specialized
1 3.4

A natural shape on the Earth's surface like a mountain or valley

refers only to a nearly level surface formed by long erosion
peneplain
vspeneplane
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A large almost flat land made by rivers and wind wearing the ground away for a long time

is the same in meaning but spelled differently by one letter

How Flat

peneplane
  • Specialized
9.9
plain
176 1.0
plateau
55 3.9
hill
852 1.0
ridge
213 3.4

Surface Forms

peneplane singular
peneplains plural

Morphology

peneplane = plane (opaque) = pene + plane

The combining form 'pene-' meaning 'almost' is a specialized technical morpheme unfamiliar to average learners, so they are unlikely to infer 'nearly level' from knowing 'plane' alone.

Etymology

The word peneplane comes from the Latin parts paene 'almost' and planus 'flat', and it shares that idea with the familiar words plain and plane. So a peneplane is land that is 'almost flat' after long erosion, which is why the word means a nearly level surface.