noun
mesa
MAY-suh
noun
1
A broad, flat-topped hill or plateau with steep sides, common in dry, desert landscapes.
"The hikers watched the sunset from the edge of the mesa."
"Red-rock mesas rise out of the desert across much of the American Southwest."
How to Use Mesa
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA big, flat-topped hill that looks like a table sticking up out of the land.
Common pairings
a flat mesa
atop the mesa
desert mesa
Word Forms
mesas plural
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The hikers watched the sunset from the edge of the _____.
Etymology
From Spanish mesa ("table"), from Latin mensa — the same root as "mensa" in geology.