Declive

/dɪˈklaɪv/ noun

Definition

A downward slope or declivity; a gradual descent or decline of terrain.

Etymology

From Latin declivis, meaning 'sloping downward.' This is a somewhat archaic term for a slope or downward grade.

Kelly Says

This word is practically extinct in modern English, preserved mainly in geology and landscape descriptions, but it's the root of 'declivity'—which explains why historical maps used 'declive' to mark steep hillsides.

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