hanging wall

noun

Mining. the underside of the wall rock overlying a vein or bed of ore. Compare footwall ( def 1 ).
Geology. a mass of rock overhanging a fault plane.

hanging wall

See footwall
the rocks on the upper side of an inclined fault plane or mineral vein Compare footwall

hanging wall

First recorded in 1770–80

How does hanging wall compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Normal faults, of which Figure 184 is an example, hade to the downthrow; the hanging wall has gone down.

He reached for his carbide lamp, hooked to a small chink of the hanging wall, and then pulled his hat over his bulging forehead.

He rode at the helm into the first hanging wall of foam, erect and triumphant!

The country rock lying immediately above the reef is the “hanging wall,” and that immediately below, the “foot wall.”

Thrust faults hade to the upthrow; the hanging wall has gone up.

April 19, 2024tortuous

[tawr-choo-uhs ]

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