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mesa — a flat-topped hill or mountain with steep sides, common in southwestern United States

Part of speech: NOUN

Definition: a flat-topped hill or mountain with steep sides, common in southwestern United States

Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈmeɪsə/

Example Sentences

  • The UFO supposedly landed on the mysterious mesa, making it a popular tourist spot.
  • Arizona is famous for its beautiful red mesas that rise dramatically from the desert floor.
  • The geologist explained how millions of years of erosion created these stunning mesa formations.

mesa

NOUN

[/ˈmeɪsə/]

a flat-topped hill or mountain with steep sides, common in southwestern United States

a flat-topped hill or mountain with steep sides, common in southwestern United States
💡 Concept

a flat-topped hill or mountain with steep sides, common in southwestern United States

Lisa enjoys pizza on top of the mesa!
🎵 Rhyme

Lisa enjoys pizza on top of the mesa!

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˈmeɪsə/
🇬🇧 UK/ˈmeɪsə/

🌳Etymology

Rootmesa

Origin

The word derives from Spanish 'mesa,' meaning table. The term was applied to flat-topped mountains and plateaus in the American Southwest because their distinctive flat summits resembled the surface of a large table.

Breakdown

mesa (Spanish: table) — a direct semantic transfer from the furniture meaning to geological formations, referencing the flat tabletop-like appearance of the landform.

🎵Rhyme

pizza
visa
Lisa

🔗Collocations

desert mesa
mesa formation
climb a mesa
mesa plateau
rocky mesa

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

“The UFO supposedly landed on the mysterious mesa, making it a popular tourist spot.”

“Arizona is famous for its beautiful red mesas that rise dramatically from the desert floor.”

“The geologist explained how millions of years of erosion created these stunning mesa formations.”

“Native Americans considered the sacred mesa to be a bridge between earth and sky.”

📚Related Words

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