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roche moutonnée

[ rohsh moot-n-ey; French rawsh moo-taw-ney ]

noun

, Geology.
  1. a rounded, glacially eroded rock outcrop, usually one of a group, resembling a sheep's back.


roche moutonnée

/ ˈrəʊʃ ˌmuːtəˈneɪ /

noun

  1. a rounded mass of rock smoothed and striated by ice that has flowed over it
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

roche moutonnée

/ rôsh′mo̅o̅t′n-ā,mo̅o̅′tô-nā /

  1. An elongate mound of bedrock worn smooth and rounded by glacial abrasion. A roche moutonnée has a long axis parallel to the direction of glacial movement, a gently sloping, striated side facing the direction from which the glacier originated, and a steeper side facing the direction of glacial movement. The height, length, and width of roche moutonnées are on the order of a few meters (tens of feet).
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Word History and Origins

Origin of roche moutonnée1

1835–45; < French: glaciated rock, literally, fleecy rock
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Word History and Origins

Origin of roche moutonnée1

C19: French, literally: fleecy rock, from mouton sheep
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Example Sentences

In addition to these polished, striated, and grooved surfaces of rock, another mark of the former action of a glacier is the "roche moutonnee."

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