foot-hill

A small village sits nestled in the foot-hills of a large mountain.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A low hill at the base of a mountain or mountain range: "foot-hill" refers to a relatively small, rounded hill that lies at the foot of a larger mountain or mountain system, often forming a transitional zone between flat lowlands and steep highlands.

Usage Examples

• (A low hill near the base of the mountain.)
• (The small hills at the base of the mountain range.)
• (The low hills at the base of mountains.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be in the foot-hills": to be located in the area of low hills at the base of a mountain range.

  • The town lies in the foot-hills of the Alps. (The town is situated among the low hills near the mountains.)

• "foot-hill region": a geographical area characterized by these low hills.

  • The foot-hill region is often used for farming before the terrain becomes too steep. (The area of low hills at the base of mountains.)

Variants and Related Words

• Foothill (n): a variant spelling of "foot-hill," meaning the same low hill at the base of a mountain.

  • The trail wound through the foothills before reaching the summit. (The low hills near the base.)

• Foothills (n, plural): a series or range of such low hills.

  • The foothills of the Himalayas are densely forested. (The multiple low hills at the base of the mountain range.)

Synonyms

• Hillock: a small hill.
• Knoll: a small, round hill.
• Mound: a small raised area of land.

Related Idioms