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scarp

noun

  1. the steep face of a hill; an escarpment
  2. the inner side of a ditch below the parapet of a fortification
  3. a low steep slope along a beach caused by wave erosion
L1420870 on Wikidata ↗

verb

  1. to cut to a steep face, to slope; also to scarp away, down
L1420871 on Wikidata ↗

verb

  1. (of land) to be torn up irregularly
L1420872 on Wikidata ↗

noun

  1. (heraldry) a diminutive of the bend sinister, one-half its width, crossing the shield diagonally from the sinister chief to the dexter base
L327204 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /skɑːp/ / /skɑɹp/

noun

Etymology: Apheretic form of escarp. Doublet of escarp.

  1. The steep artificial slope below a fort's parapet.
  2. A cliff at the edge of a plateau or ridge caused by erosion or faulting; the steeper side of an escarpment.

    2014, Paul Salopek, Blessed. Cursed. Claimed., National Geographic (December 2014)https://web.archive.org/web/20150212214621/http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2014/12/pilgrim-roads/salopek-text Sweating under the sun, we scale the barren eastern scarp of the Great Rift Valley (Area B), edging carefully around controversial, razor-wired Israeli settlements (Area C).

  3. Obsolete spelling of scarpe, scrape.

    [...] as in the seventh, which is Argent a Scarp Azure.

    He beareth Argent, a Scarp, Azure.

verb

Etymology: Apheretic form of escarp. Doublet of escarp.

  1. to cut, scrape, erode, or otherwise make into a scarp or escarpment

    to scarp the face of a ditch or a rock

    From scarped cliff and quarried stone