precipice n : a very steep cliff

English

Etymology

First attested in 1598, from L. præcipitium a steep place, from præceps steep, from præ- forth + caput head. First meaning of the noun is recorded from 1632.

Noun

1. A very steep cliff.
2. The brink of a dangerous situation.

   to stand on a precipice

Synonyms

• cliff

Related terms

• precipitous
• precipitously
• precipitousness

Translations

• Basque: amildegi, malkar
• Chinese:

  Simplified Characters: 悬崖 (xuán-yá)

  Traditional Characters: 懸崖 (xuán-yá)

• Finnish: kalliioseinämä, kalliojyrkänne
• French: précipice
• German: Abgrund
• Greek: γκρεμός [ɡre̞ˈmo̞s] , κρημνός [kriˈmno̞s] , βάραθρο [ˈvaraˌθro̞] , χαράδρα [xaˈraðra]
• Italian: precipizio , dirupo , baratro , burrone
• Japanese: 絶壁 ('), 断崖 (?)
• Korean: 절벽 (ǧŏl-byŏk / jeol-byeok)
• Old Norse: brant (Eastern dialect), bratt (Western dialect)
• Proto-Polynesian: *mato
• Russia: пропасть (propast') , обрыв (obryv)
• Spanish: precipicio

Large and famous cliffs

The highest cliff in the solar system may be Verona Rupes, an approximately 20 km (12 mile) high fault scarp on Miranda, a moon of Uranus. The following is an incomplete list of cliffs of the world. (see also :Category:Cliffs)

Asia

• Masada, Israel , Dead Sea

Above Land

• Trango Towers, Baltoro Muztagh, Northern Areas, Pakistan
• Uli Biaho Towers, Baltoro Glacier, Northern Areas, Pakistan
• Baintha Brakk (The Ogre), Panmah Muztagh, Northern Areas, Pakistan
• The Latok Group, Panmah Muztagh, Northern Areas, Pakistan
• Various cliffs in the Ak-Su Valley of Kyrgyzstan cliffs are high and steep.

Europe

Above Sea

• Cape Enniberg, Faroe Islands, 750 m above North Sea
• Croaghaun, Achill Island, Ireland, 668 m above Atlantic Ocean
• Vixía Herbeira, Northern Galicia, Spain, 621 m above Atlantic Ocean
• Preikestolen, Norway, 604 m above Lysefjorden
• Slieve League, Ireland, 601 m above Atlantic Ocean
• Cabo Girão, Madeira, 589 m above Atlantic Ocean
• Conachair, St Kilda, Scotland 427 m above Atlantic Ocean
• St John's Head (Hoy Orkney Islands Scotland) at 335m is the most vertical sea cliff in the UK
• Hangman cliffs, Devon 318 m above Bristol Channel is the highest sea cliff in England
• Dingli Cliffs, Malta, 250 m above Mediterranean sea
• Cliffs of Moher, Ireland, 217 m above Atlantic Ocean
• Cap de la Nau, Spain, 200 m above Mediterranean sea
• Beachy Head, England, 162 m above the English Channel
• Møns Klint, Denmark, 143 m above Baltic Sea
• White cliffs of Dover, England, 100 m above the Strait of Dover
• Strunjan cliff, Slovenia, 80 m above the Jadran sea

Above Land

• Troll Wall, Norway 1100 m above base
• Mięguszowiecki Szczyt north face rises to 1043 m above Morskie Oko lake level, High Tatras, Poland
• Kjerag, Norway 984 m.
• Mały Kieżmarski Szczyt (north face), Tatra Mountains, Slovakia about 900 m denivelation (vertical rise)
• Giewont (north face), Tatra Mountains, Poland, 852 m above Polana Strążyska glade
• Kazalnica Mięguszowiecka, Tatra Mountains, Poland 576 m above the Czarny Staw pod Rysami
• The six great north faces of the Alps (Cima Grande di Lavaredo, Eiger, Grandes Jorasses, Matterhorn, Petit Dru and Piz Badile)

North America

• El Capitan, Yosemite Valley, Sierra Nevada, California, United States; about 900 m (3,000 ft) high
• Northwest Face of Half Dome, near El Capitan; 1,340 m (4,400 ft) total, vertical portion about 610 m (2,000 ft)
• All faces of Devil's Tower, Wyoming, United States
• Various faces of Shiprock, New Mexico, United States
• The North Face of North Twin Peak, Rocky Mountains, Alberta, Canada
• Mount Thor, Baffin Island, Canada; 1,370 m (4,500 ft) total; top 480 m (1,600 ft) is overhanging. This reputedly gives it the largest purely vertical drop on Earth at 1,250 m (4,100 ft).
• Mount Asgard, Baffin Island
• Painted Wall in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado, United States; 685 m (2,250 ft)
• The west face of Notch Peak in southwestern Utah, United States; a limestone cliff of about 670 m (2,200 ft)
• All walls of the Stawamus Chief, Squamish, British Columbia, Canada
• Calvert Cliffs along the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland

South America

• Auyan Tepui (Angel Falls), about 1000 m (the falls are 979 m, the highest in the world)
• All faces of Cerro Torre, Patagonia, Chile-Argentina
• All faces of Cerro Chalten (Fitz Roy), Patagonia, Argentina-Chile
• Various faces of the Torres del Paine group, Patagonia, Chile

Africa

Above Sea

• Kogelberg, Western Cape, South Africa, 1289 m above False Bay, Atlantic Ocean
• Table Mountain, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa, 1086 m above Atlantic Ocean
• Twelve Apostles, Cape Town, South Africa. A series of 17 precipitous peaks ranging from ca 700m to 1067m above the Atlantic Ocean
• Risco de Faneque, Gran Canaria-Canary Islands, Spain, 1027 m above Atlantic Ocean
• Guguy's Cliffs, Gran Canaria-Canary Islands, Spain, 725 m above Atlantic Ocean
• La Mérica, La Gomera-Canary Islands, Spain, 711 m above Atlantic Ocean
• Andén Verde, Gran Canaria-Canary Islands, Spain, 690 m above Atlantic Ocean
• Karbonkelberg, Western Cape, South Africa, 653 m above Hout Bay, Atlantic Ocean
• La Peña's Cliffs, El Hierro-Canary Islands, Spain, 652 m above Atlantic Ocean
• Los Gigantes, Tenerife-Canary Islands, Spain, 637 m above Atlantic Ocean
• Chapman's Peak, Cape Town, South Africa, 596 m above Atlantic Ocean
• Anaga's Cliffs, Tenerife-Canary Islands, Spain, 592 m above Atlantic Ocean
• Risco de Famara, Lanzarote-Canary Islands, Spain, 580 m above Atlantic Ocean
• Buenavista's Cliffs, Tenerife-Canary Islands, Spain, 546 m above Atlantic Ocean
• Cape Hangklip, Western Cape, South Africa, 453.1 m above False Bay, Atlantic Ocean
• Punta Gaviota's Cliff, La Palma-Canary Islands, Spain, 435 m above Atlantic Ocean
• The Sentinel, Western Cape, South Africa, 331m above Hout Bay, Atlantic Ocean
• Cape Point, Western Cape, South Africa, 249m above Atlantic Ocean.

Above Land

• Drakensberg Amphitheatre, South Africa 1200 m above base, 5km long. The Tugela Falls, the world's second tallest waterfall, falls 948m over the edge of the cliff face.
• Mount Meru, Tanzania Caldera Cliffs, 1500m
• Klein Winterhoek, Western Cape, South Africa, 1220m above base.

References

thumb|left|200px|The [[Trango Towers

bluff, cliff, crag, crest, escarpment, face, hilltop, knoll, lofty peak, mountaintop, palisade, palisades, peak, pic, pico, pike, pinnacle, point, scar, scarp, spur, steep, summit, tor, wall