rock outcrop
1
6.0
- noun
- /rɑk ˈaʊtˌkrɒp/
- Specialized
:
afloramiento rocoso
- During our hike, we paused to rest on a flat rock outcrop where we enjoyed our lunch and admired the scenery.
Examples
-
Today, this region is hilly and arid, with occasional rock outcrops surrounded by pines and other trees.
Academic text (1998) -
Only Burt is safe on the rock outcrop.
Fiction book (1990) -
Toward the cliffs, he sees a big rock outcrop.
Fiction book (1990) -
The site included his house, a nearly pure stand of secondary growth yellow pine (Pinus ponderosa), and several large rock outcrops.
Academic text (2015) -
After a few minutes' search above Anchorage Bay, I found some dense silken nests clumped together under the rock outcrops.
Academic text (1995) -
Val, Earl, Rhonda, and Burt have moved away from the main group to another section of the rock outcrop where intervening boulders will protect everyone from an explosion.
Fiction book (1990) -
As we climbed higher, we were rewarded with stunning views of the valley from the large rock outcrop that jutted out over the edge.
-
The geology students studied the various minerals found in the rock outcrop that rose prominently above the surrounding landscape.
Synonyms
14
3.6
A natural shape of rocks made over a long time by wind or water
8
7.0
A piece of rock that sticks out from the ground
7
7.4
A piece of rock that sticks out of the ground
1
8.9
A piece of rock that sticks out from a cliff or hill
How Big
Surface Forms
Morphology
Both constituents are literal and directly contribute to the meaning: 'outcrop' already denotes a visible exposure of bedrock and 'rock' specifies the material, so the compound simply states an exposed rock formation. This noun+noun composition is transparent and cross-linguistically regular, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Rock outcrop names a clear image: a piece of rock that is an outcrop, meaning it juts out of the ground and 'sticks out' above the surrounding land.