Cwm
Noun
- A cirque: a deep steep-walled basin high on a mountain usually shaped like half a bowl and often containing a small lake, caused especially by glacial erosion, and usually forming the blunt head of a valley.
Example Sentences
“The hikers stopped in a quiet cwm to eat lunch and escape the wind.”
“From above, the cwm looked like a natural bowl carved into the mountainside.”
“The guide pointed out the glacial cwm where the lake had formed centuries ago.”
Word Origin
Welsh, mid-19th century
Why this word?
You can count on Welsh-derived words to provide terms with consonants in interesting strings and no pronunciation like standard English. “Cwm,” meaning “a steep-walled basin found on the side of a mountain,” is pronounced “kum,” with the vowel sounding like the “oo” in “book.” What’s called a cwm in Wales is called a cirque elsewhere. These deep basins are mostly created by glacial erosion, and they often contain a small lake. The Welsh word is believed to have come from the Greek “kymbē,” meaning “drinking cup.”
top picks in Inbox Studio network
Word Daily is part of Inbox Studio, which publishes content that uplifts, informs, and inspires.








