geoglyph

[ jee-oh-glif, jee-uh- ]

noun

1. a large-scale design or pattern on the surface of the land made by arranging stones, rocks, or earth, or by removing ground cover to expose the rock or soil beneath: Compare ammoglyph ( def ), dendroglyph ( def ), petroglyph ( def ).

   We flew over the Nazca Lines—very old geoglyphs in the Peruvian desert that are believed by some experts to be drawings of animals.

Word History and Origins

Origin of geoglyph¹

First recorded in 1950–55; geo- ( def ) + glyph ( def );