molasse

English

Etymology

From French molasse, a kind of sandstone, from Latin mollis (“soft”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /məˈlæs/

Noun

molasse (plural molasses)

1. (geology) A shallow deposit of sandstone, shale and conglomerate in front of a rising mountain chain.
   • 2004, Richard Fortey, The Earth, Folio Society, published 2011, page 109:

     The molasse provides a record of the wearing down of the Alpine range at a late stage; unlike the Flysch, it is largely non-marine.

Derived terms

• molassic

Translations

rock deposit

• Czech: molasa

Anagrams

• almoses, sesamol

French

Noun

molasse f (plural molasses)

1. molasse

Further reading

• “molasse”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Italian

Verb

molasse

1. third-person singular imperfect subjunctive of molare

Anagrams

• melasso, messola