High Sierra
1
5.5
- proper noun
- /haɪ ˈsiːərə/
:
Sierra Alta
- Many hikers dream of traversing the stunning trails of the High Sierra during their adventures.
- High Sierra Trail
Examples
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Upon landing in America, she crossed the High Sierra by train and then set out for Estes Park, Colorado, a valley in the Rocky Mountains.
Fiction book (2000) -
Chiura Obata sketching in the High Sierra, along with an untitled painting.
Blog text (1) -
One of the most moving parts of Ken Burns' recent PBS series on the National Parks focused on the Japanese-American artist Chiura Obata and his lifelong devotion to Yosemite and the High Sierra.
Blog text (1) -
During our summer vacation, we explored the breathtaking landscapes of the High Sierra in California.
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Mount Whitney, the tallest peak in the contiguous United States, is located in the High Sierra mountain range.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from 'high' (rising far above) + 'sierra' (mountain range): it denotes the higher part of a mountain range or a high mountain region. Although it is a proper name for a specific region in California, the adjective+noun composition is transparent and would be clear to a B1 learner who knows both words; similar constructions exist cross-linguistically.
Etymology
High Sierra comes from the Spanish word sierra, which means 'saw' because the sharp mountain ridges look like saw teeth. The word high points to the tallest, rocky part of the range, so the phrase now means the highest, rocky mountains in that area.