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Glite Dictionary
windward cliff

windward cliff

7.6
A cliff that faces the direction the wind comes from
  • noun
  • /ˈwɪndwərd klɪf/
translation icon : acantilado de barlovento
  • The lighthouse was built atop the windward cliff, safeguarding ships from the hidden rocks below.

Examples

  • Vegetation is sparse on the windward cliff due to constant exposure to strong sea breezes.

  • Gulls circled above the windward cliff, searching for a place to nest.

  • The windward cliff is steep.

  • Look at that windward cliff!

  • Gulls circled above the windward cliff, searching for a place to nest.

  • The lighthouse was built atop the windward cliff, safeguarding ships from the hidden rocks below.

  • Vegetation is sparse on the windward cliff due to constant exposure to strong sea breezes.

Surface Forms

windward cliff singular
windward cliffs plural

Morphology

windward + cliff

The meaning 'a cliff that faces toward the direction from which the wind is blowing' is directly derived from the adjective 'windward' (exposed to wind) modifying 'cliff' (a steep rock face). This is a straightforward adjective+noun compositional pattern, common cross‑linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Windward cliff comes from a clear image: a cliff that faces the windward side. The word windward literally means 'toward the wind', so the phrase means a cliff that faces the direction the wind is blowing.