the.com/ridge line
The spine of a mountain, where two slopes argue and neither wins.
means The continuous line or crest connecting the highest points along a mountain range or hill, where the land rises to a peak and slopes fall away on both sides.
from A straightforward compound: 'ridge' comes from Old English 'hrycg,' meaning the spine or back of a person or animal (related to German 'Rücken'), carried over to describe the backbone-like crest of land; 'line' arrived via Old French 'ligne' from Latin 'linea,' a string or thread. Together they name exactly what they describe — the thread-thin backbone traced along the top of raised terrain.
- navigation use
- Hikers follow ridges to avoid valley bushwhacking
- military term
- High ground that decides battles, literally
- map tell
- Contour lines point upslope in a V shape
- fire behavior
- Wildfires accelerate violently when they crest one