From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishescarpmente‧scarp‧ment /ɪˈskɑːpmənt $ -ɑːr-/ noun [countable] SGa high steep slope or cliff between two levels on a hill or mountain
Examples from the Corpus
escarpment• Starch, unable to stop, slid 20 feet to the edge of an escarpment.• In southern Britain there are many such sudden changes mainly between clay lowlands and escarpments of chalk or oolitic limestone.• It is possible that a similar flexural effect is associated with great escarpments along passive continental margins.• Three cavalry companies gave pursuit, but were scattered when the warriors turned to defend a lava escarpment.• The cars turned toward the Alabama Hills, a small range of barren rises at the foot of the Sierra escarpment.• The outward journey was quite uneventful as far as the Wadi Tamit, a steep defile leading down the escarpment on to the coastal plain.• If they had climbed down the side of the escarpment he had no doubt that she would not have made it.Origin escarpment (1800-1900) escarp “slope” ((17-21 centuries)), from French escarpe, from Italian scarpa 