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arete

 - 6 dictionary results

a⋅re⋅te

[ahr-i-tey]
–noun
the aggregate of qualities, as valor and virtue, making up good character.

Origin:
< Gk aret

a⋅rête

[uh-reyt]
–noun Physical Geography, Geology.
a sharp rugged mountain ridge, produced by glaciation.

Origin:
1860–65; < F; OF areste sharp ridge < L arista awn, ear of wheat
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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a·rête   (ə-rāt')   
n.  A sharp, narrow mountain ridge or spur.

[French, from Old French areste, fishbone, spine, from Late Latin arista, awn, fishbone, from Latin, awn.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

arête 
"sharp crest of a mountain," 1862, from Swiss Fr., from L. arista "ear of grain," which probably is of Etruscan origin.

arete 
important concept in Gk. philosophy, "virtue, excellence," lit. "that which is good." The comp. form is areion, the superl. is aristos (cf. aristocracy).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

arete

(French: "ridge"), in geology, a sharp-crested serrate ridge separating the heads of opposing valleys (cirques) that formerly were occupied by Alpine glaciers. It has steep sides formed by the collapse of unsupported rock, undercut by continual freezing and thawing (glacial sapping; see cirque). Two opposing glaciers meeting at an arete will carve a low, smooth gap, or col. An arete may culminate in a high triangular peak or horn (such as the Matterhorn) formed by three or more glaciers eroding toward each other

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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