esker

noun

es·​ker ˈe-skər How to pronounce esker (audio)
: a long narrow ridge or mound of sand, gravel, and boulders deposited by a stream flowing on, within, or beneath a stagnant glacier

Examples of esker in a Sentence

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Kettles, moraines, eskers, drumlins, wetlands, hanging valleys, outwash plains: Across, down, and up Wisconsin, you crisscross these glacial vestiges, repeated in random bursts like a particularly chaotic and tremendous platter of hotdish. — Grayson Haver Currin, Outside Online, 24 Dec. 2024 The ridges could also be winding structures related to glaciers called eskers. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 25 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Irish eiscir ridge

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of esker was in 1848

Rhymes for esker

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esker
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Cite this Entry

“Esker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/esker. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

esker

noun
es·​ker ˈes-kər How to pronounce esker (audio)
: a long narrow mound of material (as sand or gravel) deposited by a stream flowing on, within, or beneath a melting glacier

More from Merriam-Webster on esker

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about esker

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