mesa
n. countablen. a flat-topped hill with very steep sides. You usually see these in dry, desert areas.
n. an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge, or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain.
The sun set behind the red mesa in the distance.
The hikers climbed to the top of the mesa to get a better view of the desert floor below.
Geological erosion over millions of years carved the plateau into a series of isolated mesas, each capped by a layer of resistant rock that protects the softer layers beneath.
First attested 1759, from Spanish mesa (“table”), from Latin mēnsa. Doublet of mensa.
Commonly used in the context of physical geography and geology, particularly in the Southwestern United States.