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 );

Example Sentences

The Japanese influence didn’t end with Panthalassa as Japan-based Café Pharoah, Geoglyph and Crown Pride finished third to fifth.

From Los Angeles Times

The catlike geoglyph — which experts say dates to 200 B.C. to 100 B.C. — is the latest discovery among the carvings of larger-than-life animals and plants previously found between the towns of Nazca and Palpa, in a desert plain about 250 miles southeast of the capital, Lima.

From New York Times

The geoglyph has been painstakingly cleaned and preserved by a team of archaeologists to make it more easily visible, the ministry said in a statement, adding that the discovery was “further evidence of the rich and varied cultural legacy” of the area.

From Reuters

“Over the past week, the geoglyph was cleaned and conserved, and shows a feline figure in profile, with its head facing the front.”

From The Guardian

The illustration, known as a geoglyph, is thought to date to between 100 BC and 500 AD, and was made by removing the dark stones of the Nazca Desert to reveal the white sand beneath.

From The Verge