A steep-sided ravine, gorge, or gully, especially one formed by erosion; similar to barranca but with regional spelling variation.
From Spanish barranco, alternative spelling of barranca. Both forms entered English from Spanish colonial presence in the Americas, with regional preferences for different spellings.
Spanish actually has two spellings—barranca and barranco—and English adopted both, which is why you'll see them used interchangeably in Southwest geography, a linguistic stalemate!
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