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noun

horst

hawst
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Horst (noun) means In geology, a raised block of the Earth's crust sitting between two faults. Example: “The mountain range formed as a horst, pushed up between fault lines.”

noun
1
In geology, a raised block of the Earth's crust sitting between two faults.
"Horsts and grabens are rock structural features that are identified by the nature of the offset of rock units along normal faults; topographically, horsts form mountain ranges and grabens form basins." — James Petersen, Dorothy Sack (2011)
"Your body is a horst and mine a graben, because horst is the opposite of graben." — Anthony Burgess, Enderby Outside (1968)
"The mountain range formed as a horst, pushed up between fault lines."

How to use horst

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA geology term for a chunk of the Earth's crust lifted up between fault lines.

When to use it

A technical geology term, rarely used outside that field.

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Word forms

Plural
horsts
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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The mountain range formed as a _____, pushed up between fault lines.

Etymology

Borrowed from German Horst, meaning "heap" or "ridge."

Origin: German

Antonyms

Related words

Rhymes for horst

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Frequently asked questions

What does “horst” mean?
The word “horst” means in geology, a raised block of the Earth's crust sitting between two faults. In plain terms, a geology term for a chunk of the Earth's crust lifted up between fault lines.
How do you pronounce “horst”?
“Horst” is pronounced hawst (/hɔːst/ in IPA).
How do you use “horst” in a sentence?
Here is “horst” used in a sentence: “The mountain range formed as a horst, pushed up between fault lines.”
What is the opposite of “horst”?
The opposite of “horst” — its antonyms — is graben.
What part of speech is “horst”?
“Horst” is a noun.
Where does the word “horst” come from?
The word “horst” comes from German. Borrowed from German Horst, meaning "heap" or "ridge.".

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