scarp
- noun
- /skɑrp/
- Specialized
:
escarpe
Examples
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The parts that had straggled over the border had been mined, and the once vertical scarp had collapsed.
Fiction book (1998) -
The peaks and ridges ended abruptly to form the front of a gigantic scarp; the floors of the gorges extended and joined.
Fiction book (1993) -
(c) revetment: a sloping structure built along a scarp or in front of a bulkhead to protect the shoreline or bulkhead from erosion.
Academic text (1990) -
The soldiers patrolled along the top of the tall scarp that protected the fort from enemy attacks.
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Ancient architects designed the scarp to serve as a formidable barrier against invaders.
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As we hiked, we admired the steep scarp that served as a backdrop to the historic castle ruins.
Synonyms
A steep man-made slope in front of a fort's walls that makes attack harder
A steep man-made slope in front of a fort to stop attackers
A steep slope in front of a fort made by people that protects it from attack
How Steep
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word scarp comes from an old French word escarpe meaning 'slope'. In fort building a scarp is a steep man-made slope or wall put in front of the main wall to stop attackers, so the original word explains its defensive purpose.