moraine

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: mo=raine

CIDE DICTIONARY

moraine, n. [F. Cf. Prov. G. mur stones broken off, It. mora a heap of stones, hillock, G. mÜrbe soft, broken up, OHG. muruwi, AS. mearu tender, Gr. to cause to wither, Skr. mlā to relax.].

 An accumulation of earth and stones carried forward and deposited by a glacier.  Lyell.  [1913 Webster]
" If the moraine is at the extremity of the glacier it is a terminal moraine; if at the side, a lateral moraine; if parallel to the side on the central portion of the glacier, a medial moraine. See Illust. of Glacier. In the last case it is formed by the union of the lateral moraines of the branches of the glacier. A ground moraine is one beneath the mass of ice."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

moraine, n. an area covered by rocks and debris carried down and deposited by a glacier.

Derivative

morainal adj. morainic adj.

Etymology

F f. It. dial. morena f. F dial. mor(re) snout f. Rmc