cordillera

[ kawr-dl-yair-uh, -air-uh, kawr-dil-er-uh ]

noun

1. a chain of mountains, usually the principal mountain system or mountain axis of a large landmass.

cordillera

/ ˌkɔːdɪlˈjɛərə /

noun

1. a series of parallel ranges of mountains, esp in the northwestern US

cordillera

/ kôr′dl-yâr′ə /

1. A long and wide chain of mountains, especially the main mountain range of a large landmass. Cordilleras can include the valleys, basins, rivers, lakes, plains, and plateaus between parallel chains of a single mountain system, or they can consist solely of a string of connected mountain peaks.

Derived Forms

• ˌcordilˈleran, adjective

Other Words From

• cordil·leran adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cordillera¹

First recorded in 1695–1705; from Spanish, derivative of cordilla, diminutive of cuerda “rope, string” (from Latin chorda ). Cordillera originally applied to the Andes Mountains in South America and later to the same mountain chain in Central America and Mexico; cord

Word History and Origins

Origin of cordillera¹

C18: from Spanish, from cordilla, literally: a little cord, from cuerda mountain range, cord

Example Sentences

Chile’s national disaster agency said on Wednesday night that several communities in the Valparaíso region were being evacuated as emergency crews battled the Cerro Cordillera fire.

From New York Times

Three of the five new species are endemic to the eastern Cordillera of Colombia, where they occupy cloud forests and coffee plantations.

From Science Daily

For instance, in North America they make up much of the Canadian Interior between the Cordillera mountain belt in the west and the Grenville and Appalachian mountain belts in the east.

From Science Daily

Heavy rainfall was expected later on Sunday and on Monday in the provinces of Isabela, Cagayan, Ilocos and the mountainous Cordillera region, raising the risk of flooding and landslides, the weather bureau said.

From Reuters

Compensate, a company that assesses and sells carbon credits, rejected Cordillera Azul for its portfolio in 2020.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• sierra