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Glite Dictionary
downslope

downslope

3 3.7
The part of a hill that slopes down to a lower level
  • noun
  • /ˈdaʊnˌsloʊp/
translation icon : pendiente
  • Because of the spongelike action of sphagnum moss, the peat stays in place rather than flowing downslope.
  • downslope side
  • flowing downslope
  • soil moving downslope

Are we at the peak or are we at the downslope of the the United States empire?

Examples

  • The grass wasn't tall enough to hide anybody, and the nearest trees were a hundred yards downslope.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • A small lake lay just downslope from the cabin like a smoked mirror.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • At the right, on the downslope of the hill, are two large business buildings.

    Blog text (25)

  • There we saw, a couple of hundred meters downslope, a small gathering of people clustered around an oak tree.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • But here's the new spin: the downslope is also very wet and slippery.

    Blog text (6)

  • The Land Cruisers were stopped on the downslope of a hill, which must mean they were someplace near the tyrannosaur area.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Many of the farmers involved in shifting their plots downslope are marginal smallholders.

    Academic text (1996)

  • The tubers are exposed by loosening the earth with digging sticks on the downslope side, then scooping it away with the hands.

    Academic text (1993)

  • Manioc is grown on the highest and driest land; the other crops, on the downslopes of levees, where soils are moister.

    Academic text (2002)

  • The children ran down the gentle downslope of the hill, laughing as they raced each other.

Synonyms

slope
vsdownslope
101 1.4

A part of land that goes up or down like the side of a hill

specifies the part that drops to a lower level rather than any slant
descent
vsdownslope
89 3.7

A movement down from a higher place to a lower place or a slope that goes down

focuses on the static hill part that drops rather than the movement
downgrade
vsdownslope
23 4.2

A slope on a road or railway that goes down

is used for any hill part while that term stresses roads or tracks
downhill
vsdownslope
13 1.4

The sloping lower part of a hill or road

is a general term for the part of a hill that slopes toward a lower level
decline
vsdownslope
7 3.5

A downward slope in the ground or surface

is a broad term for hill area that slopes down rather than a bend
declivity
vsdownslope
1 9.6

A slope that goes down like the side of a hill

is the common term for the part of a hill that drops lower
declination
vsdownslope
1 9.1

A slope that goes down

is the ordinary word for the hill area that drops rather than a bend
downslide
vsdownslope
3.9

A slope or small hill that goes down

is the basic term for the hill part rather than emphasizing movement
declension
vsdownslope
8.8

A surface or area that slopes downward

is the common term for the hill part that drops rather than a bend

Antonyms

upslope
2 4.5

The higher part of a hill or slope

How Steep

cliff
438 1.0
downslope
3 3.7
slope
101 1.4

Surface Forms

downslope singular
downslope plural

Morphology

downslope = slope (transparent) = down + slope

The noun is a straightforward compound 'down' + 'slope' meaning a slope that goes downward, which learners can derive from the parts. [Postprocessing: moved 'down' from base_words to prefix]

Etymology

Downslope combines down and slope: down means 'toward a lower place' (as in downstairs or downhill) and slope means 'a surface that goes up or down'. So, downslope is the part of a hill or surface that drops to a lower level.