Definition

1. Noun:
   • A steep-walled semicircular basin in a mountain; may contain a lake: A corrie is a geological feature, a hollow or basin carved out by glacial erosion on a mountainside. It is typically shaped like an armchair or amphitheater with steep cliffs on three sides and often contains a small lake, known as a tarn.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The hikers rested by the tranquil lake in the corrie.
  • Geologists study the formation of corries to understand past glacial activity.
  • From the summit, we could see several deep corries cutting into the mountain's face.

Advanced Usage

• "Hanging corrie": A corrie situated high on a mountainside, often above a main valley.
  • The hanging corrie was a dramatic sight, perched high above the glacial valley.
• "Corrie lochan": A Scottish term for the small lake (tarn) often found within a corrie.
  • We swam in the icy waters of the corrie lochan.

Variants and Related Words

• Cirque (n): A synonym for corrie, commonly used in North American and French contexts.
  • The glacial cirque was filled with snow even in summer.
• Cwm (n): A Welsh term for a similar steep-sided, rounded valley formed by glacial action.
  • The path led them into a deep cwm in the Welsh mountains.

Synonyms

• Cirque: A steep-walled, semicircular mountain basin.
• Cwm: A Welsh term for a cirque or corrie.

Related Phrases

(This word does not commonly form phrasal verbs or idioms.)

Noun

1. a steep-walled semicircular basin in a mountain; may contain a lake