talus
nounEtymology Borrowed from French talus.
1
Geography, Geology, Natural sciences A sloping heap of fragments of rock lying at the foot of a precipice.
- By the time he reached the first talus slides under the tall escarpments of the Pilares the dawn was not far to come.1994, Cormac McCarthy, The Crossing:
- Above here is what is known as a talus slope - sandstone that has gradually disintegrated and tumbled down to create a menacing sloping pile of loose rock.2024 May 29, Nick Brodrick, “Between a rock and a wet place...”, in RAIL, number 1010, page 39:
2
Architecture The slope of an embankment wall, which is thicker at the bottom than at the top.