outcrop
Word family
- outcroppingnounC2
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
Outcrop, ledge, cliff, and ridge all refer to raised rocky land, but they point to different shapes. An outcrop is rock that shows above the soil or nearby ground, often as a smaller exposed mass you notice on a walk or in a field report. A ledge is a narrow shelf of rock that sticks out from a wall or steep face. A cliff is a tall, steep rock face, usually much larger and more dramatic than an outcrop. A ridge is a long raised line of high ground or rock. Use outcrop when the key idea is exposed rock at the surface, especially in hiking or geology contexts.
Common collocations
Etymology
The word combines out with crop in its older sense of "sprout" or "push up". It was first used for rock that seemed to grow or jut through the ground, and that image still shapes both the noun and verb today.