aretes
Sharp mountain spines
Aretes are sharp, narrow ridges of rock that form when glaciers erode parallel valleys on either side of a mountain, leaving a knife-edge spine between them.
The term comes from mountaineering and geology: The climbers traversed the exposed arete to reach the summit.
In architecture, an arete is a sharp edge where two surfaces meet.
Top edge of terrain
- knife-edgeCritically narrow margin
- scramblingMoving clumsily in haste
- exposureState of being unprotected
- summitPeak or diplomatic gathering
traverse · couloir · col · pinnacle · saddle · cornice · precipice · climbing
Of frozen rivers
- erosionGradual wearing away
- cirqueGlacier-carved mountain basin
- hornPointed animal headgear
- MatterhornFamous Swiss-Italian mountain
pyramidal · weathering · geomorphology · landform · topography · rockfall · sediment · metamorphic
Moral goodness or merit
- excellenceOutstanding quality or merit
- AristotleGreek founder of formal logic
- ethicsStudy of right conduct
- characterNature, symbol, or role
Greek · moral · courage · wisdom · temperance · justice · flourishing · habit
ridgeline
Top edge of terrain
- knife-edgeCritically narrow margin
- scramblingMoving clumsily in haste
- exposureState of being unprotected
summit · traverse · couloir · col · pinnacle · saddle · cornice · precipice · climbing · alpinism
glacial
Of frozen rivers
Matterhorn · pyramidal · weathering · geomorphology · landform · topography · rockfall · sediment · metamorphic · granite
virtue
Moral goodness or merit
- excellenceOutstanding quality or merit
- AristotleGreek founder of formal logic
- ethicsStudy of right conduct
character · Greek · moral · courage · wisdom · temperance · justice · flourishing · habit · nobility
aretesdomes
Vaulted rounded ceilings
rolling hills · plateaus · mesas · drumlins · gentle slopes