Versant
[VER-sənt]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: French, mid-19th century
1.
A region of land sloping in one general direction.
Examples of Versant in a sentence
"The topography on the western versant of the mountain is flatter than the eastern one."
"The Appalachian Mountains’ versant runs toward the Atlantic Ocean."
About Versant
This word comes from French. It is the present participle (used as a noun) of “verser,” which means “tilt over.” It originates from the Latin “versare.”
Did you Know?
“Versant” can also be used as an adjective that means “conversant, experienced, or practiced.” The first known usage of “versant” as an adjective was the mid-17th century. In fact, Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary only contains this definition for the word.