cirquenoun [ C ]
/sɜːk//sɜː˞k/specializeda hollow area almost surrounded by steep slopes at the top of a glaciated valley:
From here you can start to see the rim of the mountains that enclose the cirque.
More examples
- From the col there is a wonderful view back down over the ski village in its cirque.
- The trail suddenly levels out and for the next hour you contour the side of the right-hand valley to the cirque at its head.
- The map showed the glacier tucked into a gigantic spoon-shaped cirque on the north-facing side of the mountain.
- At the head of the gulch is a tight cirque facing east, north and west and rimmed with rock slabs pitched at 45 degrees.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Geography: hills & mountains
- alpine
- arête
- Ben
- butte
- cliff
- clifftop
- col
- cuesta
- drumlin
- hillock
- hilltop
- incline
- knoll
- mountainous
- Mountains
- mountainside
- orographic
- ridge
- shelf
- upland
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Geography: valleys