geosynclinal

English edit

Etymology edit

geo- +‎ synclinal

Pronunciation edit

Rhymes: -aɪnəl

Adjective edit

geosynclinal (comparative more geosynclinal, superlative most geosynclinal)

(geology) Of the Earth's crust, bending downward or subsiding and permitting the gradual accumulation of sediment.

Noun edit

geosynclinal (plural geosynclinals)

(geology) The downward bend or subsidence of the Earth's crust, which permits the gradual accumulation of sediment and hence forms the first step in the formation of a mountain range.

Antonyms edit

geanticlinal

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.
(See the entry for “geosynclinal”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.)