synclinal
|sɪn-ˈklaɪ-nəl|
/sɪnˈklaɪnəl/
downward fold
Etymology
'synclinal' originates from Neo-Latin/English, specifically formed from the noun 'syncline' plus the adjectival suffix '-al', where the element 'syn-' came from Greek meaning 'together' and 'klinein' meant 'to lean or slope'.
'synclinal' developed from the geological term 'syncline' (coined in the 19th century from Greek elements via Neo-Latin); the addition of the English adjectival suffix '-al' produced 'synclinal' to describe things pertaining to a syncline.
Initially it meant 'pertaining to or forming a syncline' in geological contexts, and it has retained that technical meaning in modern usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a trough or fold of stratified rock in which the strata slope upward from the axis; a syncline.
The geologist mapped a synclinal along the valley.
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Adjective 1
relating to, forming, or characteristic of a syncline; folded so as to form a syncline.
They observed a synclinal fold in the rock layers.
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Last updated: 2025/08/16 08:27