| Moraine | n. [ F. Cf. Prov. G. mur stones broken off, It. mora a heap of stones, hillock, G. mürbe soft, broken up, OHG. muruwi, AS. mearu tender, Gr. &unr_; to cause to wither, Skr. mlā to relax. ] (Geol.) An accumulation of earth and stones carried forward and deposited by a glacier. Lyell. [ 1913 Webster ] ☞ If the moraine is at the extremity of the glacier it is a terminal moraine; if at the side, a lateral moraine; if parallel to the side on the central portion of the glacier, a medial moraine. See Illust. of Glacier. In the last case it is formed by the union of the lateral moraines of the branches of the glacier. A ground moraine is one beneath the mass of ice. [ 1913 Webster ] |
