hanging wall

noun — 2 senses

hanging wall

noun
1

Geography, Geology, Natural sciences The section of rock that extends above a diagonal fault line (the corresponding lower section being the footwall).

2

Business, Mining the upper wall of inclined vein, or that which hangs over the miner's head when working in the vein.

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.