mesa

¹

[ mey-suh ]

noun

1. a land formation, less extensive than a plateau, having steep walls and a relatively flat top and common in arid and semiarid parts of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico.

Mesa

²

[ mey-suh ]

noun

1. a city in central Arizona, near Phoenix.

mesa

/ ˈmeɪsə /

noun

1. a flat tableland with steep edges, common in the southwestern US

mesa

/ mā′sə /

1. An area of high land with a flat top and two or more steep, clifflike sides. Mesas are larger than buttes and smaller than plateaus, and are common in the southwest United States.

Word History and Origins

Origin of mesa¹

1750–60, Americanism; < Spanish: table < Latin mēnsa

Word History and Origins

Origin of mesa¹

from Spanish: table

Example Sentences

It has one narrow runway perched high on a mesa with steep cliffs at either end tumbling 1,600 feet to the deep blue Pacific Ocean.

From Los Angeles Times

According to Oder, the backyard, which features uninterrupted mesa views, is now “the best part” of their property.

From Los Angeles Times

In Taos, Zappa has found a measure of solace in the stark beauty of its mesas and snow-capped mountains.

From Los Angeles Times

Back at the metal workshop, the roaring sound of the kiln — which is used in the process of turning molten bronze and aluminum into objects — fills the quiet desert mesa with an ambient soundtrack.

From Los Angeles Times

Several clues, taken together, give away the volcanic nature of the jumble of layered mesas and canyons in this eastern part of Noctis Labyrinthus.

From Science Daily