Definition

Noun: 1. A steep, rugged, or projecting rock or mass of rock: This refers to a single, prominent, and often isolated rock formation that is steep and rough in texture. 2. A cliff or part of a cliff, especially one that is steep and rugged: This meaning emphasizes the feature as part of a larger rocky face or coastline.

Usage and Examples

• The climber carefully searched for a handhold on the sheer crag.
• An eagle's nest was perched high on the windswept crag.
• The castle was built atop a coastal crag, making it nearly impregnable.
• The path led them around the base of a towering limestone crag.

Advanced Usage

• Geological Context: In geology, a crag often refers to a steep, rocky promontory, typically formed by erosion or glacial activity.
• Literary/Descriptive Use: The word is frequently used in poetry and descriptive prose to evoke a sense of wild, ancient, and imposing natural scenery.

Variants and Related Words

• Craggy (adjective): Having many crags; rough, rugged, and uneven in surface.
  • He had a craggy face, weathered by years in the sun.
• Cragsman (noun, archaic): A skilled climber of steep rocky places.

Synonyms

• Cliff
• Bluff
• Precipice
• Escarpment
• Outcrop

Antonyms

• Plain
• Valley
• Dale
• Meadow

Related Phrases and Idioms

• To be (perched) on a crag: This phrase is used literally to describe something located on such a rock formation, emphasizing height and isolation.
  • The lighthouse stood perched on a crag, warning ships of the dangerous coast.

Noun

1. a steep rugged rock or cliff