Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A polished, striated rock surface caused by one rock mass sliding over another in a fault plane.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun geology A smooth,
striated rock surface caused by thefriction of one mass sliding over another
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[Dialectal slicken, glossy (alteration of slick) + side.]
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Examples
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reesetee commented on the word slickenside
(pronounced SLIK-uhn-sahyd) A rock surface that has become more or less polished and striated by slippage along a fault plane.
August 1, 2007
slumry commented on the word slickenside
Sounds like if you tried to walk on it, it would be a slip 'n slide!
August 1, 2007
reesetee commented on the word slickenside
Indeed! The etymology I read suggested just that derivation.
August 1, 2007