A small hill or rise in the landscape, particularly one in prairie or grassland terrain; a geographical feature between a valley and higher ground.
From French 'coteau', derived from Old French 'cote', ultimately from Latin 'cota' meaning a small elevated place or cottage site. The term is used especially in North American geographical descriptions.
The word 'coteau' survives in North American place names and geology from French colonizers—you'll see it in the 'Missouri Coteau' and other regional names, preserving a French-Canadian perspective on the landscape that English settlers encountered.
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