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Glite Dictionary
terrigenous

terrigenous

9.9
Of materials that come from land and are carried to the sea
  • adjective
  • /tɛˈrɪdʒənəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : terrestre

Examples

  • The facies that make up the continental shelf are the platform (silt and clay) and continental muds, sands (quartzose and bioclastic), terrigenous gravel, and shells.

    Academic text (2018)

  • The river contributed terrigenous material to the surrounding ocean, shaping the coastal landscape over time.

  • Scientists studied terrigenous sediments to understand how land erosion affects marine environments.

  • During the storm, terrigenous debris was swept into the sea, altering the underwater ecosystem.

Synonyms

terrestrial
vsterrigenous
17 5.2

Relating to land or to things that live on land rather than in water

originates from land, not merely living or growing there
tellurian
vsterrigenous
1 9.9

Relating to land rather than to the sea or air

originates from land, focusing on transported sediments
telluric
vsterrigenous
9.9

Relating to the land rather than the sea or air

originates from land, especially describing materials carried to the sea by rivers or wind

Surface Forms

terrigenous positive
terrigenouser comparative
terrigenousest superlative

Morphology

terrigenous = terra (semi-transparent) = terra + genous

The word is formed from 'terra' meaning land or earth plus the technical suffix '-genous', but the scientific sense is not immediately obvious to most learners.

Etymology

The word terrigenous comes from the root terra, which means 'land' and is the same root you see in terrain. So, terrigenous is a handy word for things like sand or soil that are 'from the land', especially when rivers or wind carry them into the sea.