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loess

Syllabification: (lo·ess)
Pronunciation: /les, ləs, ˈlōˌes/
Definition of loess

noun

Geology
  • a loosely compacted yellowish-gray deposit of windblown sediment of which extensive deposits occur, e.g., in eastern China and the American Midwest.

Derivatives

loessial

Pronunciation: /ˈlesēəl, ˈlə-, lōˈes-/
adjective

loessic

Pronunciation: /ˈlesik, ˈlə-, lōˈes-/
adjective

Origin:

mid 19th century: from German Löss, from Swiss German lösch 'loose'

loess in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of loess in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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