massif
noun
mas·sif ma-ˈsēf 
1
: a principal mountain mass
2
: a block of the earth's crust bounded by faults or flexures and displaced as a unit without internal change
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Tina Pedersen had just run 171km (106.5 miles) around the Mont Blanc massif. 
Brian Metzler, Outside Online, 31 Aug. 2022 Year-round, experiences in the surroundings also encompass hot-air balloon flights over the peaks, discovery of the Mont Blanc massif by plane or helicopter, cave exploration and trips to the thermal springs of Saint Gervais. Lauren Jade Hill, Forbes, 19 July 2022 Two hikes will get you to the Roan Highlands, a 20-mile massif part of the Appalachian Bald Mountains. Neil Norman, Outside Online, 12 Aug. 2020 Climate change is melting the glaciers and permafrost of the Mont Blanc massif, revealing crystals hidden in pockets once covered in snow. Simon Akam, Outside Online, 8 June 2021 This Instagram-famous lake is especially alluring in the summer, when the sun reflects off its emerald waters, around which rises the impressive Seekofel massif. Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2022 The vineyards are on terraced slopes with southern exposure along the Dentelles de Montmirail, the mighty limestone massif. Per And Britt Karlsson, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2022 Maestri never mentioned climbing on the west side of the massif, only the east and north sides. The Editors, Outside Online, 4 Feb. 2015 The grand finale is a heli-ski excursion near the summit of Dufourspitze—the highest peak of the Monte Rosa massif (pictured above) and the highest peak in the Swiss Alps—followed by a 8,500-foot descent down to Zermatt. Brigid Mander, WSJ, 4 Feb. 2022 See More
Brian Metzler, Outside Online, 31 Aug. 2022 Year-round, experiences in the surroundings also encompass hot-air balloon flights over the peaks, discovery of the Mont Blanc massif by plane or helicopter, cave exploration and trips to the thermal springs of Saint Gervais. Lauren Jade Hill, Forbes, 19 July 2022 Two hikes will get you to the Roan Highlands, a 20-mile massif part of the Appalachian Bald Mountains. Neil Norman, Outside Online, 12 Aug. 2020 Climate change is melting the glaciers and permafrost of the Mont Blanc massif, revealing crystals hidden in pockets once covered in snow. Simon Akam, Outside Online, 8 June 2021 This Instagram-famous lake is especially alluring in the summer, when the sun reflects off its emerald waters, around which rises the impressive Seekofel massif. Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2022 The vineyards are on terraced slopes with southern exposure along the Dentelles de Montmirail, the mighty limestone massif. Per And Britt Karlsson, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2022 Maestri never mentioned climbing on the west side of the massif, only the east and north sides. The Editors, Outside Online, 4 Feb. 2015 The grand finale is a heli-ski excursion near the summit of Dufourspitze—the highest peak of the Monte Rosa massif (pictured above) and the highest peak in the Swiss Alps—followed by a 8,500-foot descent down to Zermatt. Brigid Mander, WSJ, 4 Feb. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
French, from massif, adjective, from Middle French, alteration of Old French massiz
First Known Use
1873, in the meaning defined at sense 1