sierra

/'siərə/

Thân thiện

A hiker looks up at the jagged peaks of a sierra.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A Spanish mackerel of western North America: A type of fish, specifically a mackerel, found in the coastal waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean.
   • A range of mountains (usually with jagged peaks and irregular outline): A long, rugged mountain chain, often characterized by a saw-toothed or irregular skyline.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Fish):

  • The sierra is a popular game fish among anglers.
  • We grilled the fresh sierra for dinner.

• Noun (Mountain Range):

  • The Sierra Nevada is a famous sierra in California.
  • The hikers struggled to cross the jagged peaks of the sierra.

Advanced Usage

• Geographical Names: Often capitalized as part of a proper name for a specific mountain range.
  • They went skiing in the Sierra Madre.
• Descriptive Use: Used to describe the characteristic shape of a mountain range.
  • From a distance, the sierra looked like the teeth of a saw against the horizon.

Variants and Related Words

• Sierran (adj): Pertaining to a sierra or mountain range.
  • The Sierran landscape is breathtaking.

Synonyms

• Mountain range: For the geographical feature.
• Mackerel: For the fish (specifically, the Pacific sierra is ).

Notes on Meaning

The word has two distinct, unrelated meanings: 1. A zoological term for a specific fish. 2. A geographical term for a type of mountain formation. The geographical term originates from Spanish, meaning "saw," which describes the jagged appearance of such ranges.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a Spanish mackerel of western North America
2. a range of mountains (usually with jagged peaks and irregular outline)

Từ đồng nghĩa

• scomberomorus sierra