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plateau

plateau

99 3.9
A large flat area of land higher than the land around it
  • noun
  • /plæˈtoʊ/
translation icon : meseta
  • The highland plateau provided breathtaking views for hikers eager to explore the region.
  • foot of the plateau
  • an arid plateau
  • a semi-arid plateau

They want a nice long plateau before it sort of just tapers away.

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Examples

  • Even in the absence of human disturbance, the loess plateau would continue to erode naturally.

    Academic text (1992)
  • To the north, the Tibetan plateau stretched for hundreds of miles.

    Academic text (2011)
  • So now we turn to ice sheets, which is generally defined as a large plateau of ice.

  • One such case involved a small village on the Manden Plateau where seasonal streams are numerous.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Before the dawn of civilization, the vegetation growing on the plateau protected it against rapid erosion.

    Academic text (1992)
  • Here on the plateau of Giza stands for ever the mightiest of human achievements.

  • The picturesque heart of Scotland, with its castle on a fairytale plateau above the Firth of Forth.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Not until 1924 did any European make the trek to the plateau and collect herbarium specimens.

    Academic text (1991)
  • Farmers cultivate crops on the fertile plateau that rises above the surrounding valleys.

  • The Colorado plateau is famous for its stunning red rock formations and canyons.

Synonyms

table
vsplateau
80 7.5

A flat, high area of land with steep sides

is broader, referring to any large flat elevated land not only steep sided forms
mesa
vsplateau
11 7.2

A flat area of land with steep sides found in dry places

is more general, meaning any large flat elevated land regardless of sides or climate
tableland
vsplateau
1 7.4

A large flat area of land that is higher than nearby land

is the general term for any large flat elevated land

Compounds

A high, flat area in the southwestern United States with deep canyons and red rock formations

A high flat area in the southwestern Appalachian Mountains that stretches through Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia

A large high area of land in eastern and northern Canada from the Great Lakes to the Arctic Ocean

A high area of low mountains and hills in northwest Arkansas, southeast Missouri, and northeast Oklahoma

A small thin lizard with long stripes that lives on the Colorado Plateau in Arizona and western Colorado

How High

plateau
99 3.9
upland
1 5.1
plain
98 1.0

Surface Forms

plateau singular
plateaus plural
plateaux plural

Etymology

Plateau comes from French roots like plat meaning 'flat'; imagine a large 'plate' of land sitting high above the ground. So a plateau is a big, flat area that is higher than the land around it.