Cordillera

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Cordillera \Cor*dil"ler*a\ (k[^o]r*d[i^]l"l[~e]r*[.a]; Sp.
     k[^o]r`d[-e]*ly[asl]"r[.a]), n. [Sp., fr. OSp. cordilla,
     cordiella, dim. of cuerda a rope, string. See {Cord}.]
     (Geol.)
     A mountain ridge or chain.
     [1913 Webster]


  
     Note: Cordillera is sometimes applied, in geology, to the
           system of mountain chains near the border of a
           continent; thus, the western cordillera of North
           America in the United States includes the Rocky
           Mountains, Sierra Nevada, Coast and Cascade ranges.
           [1913 Webster]