sierra

1 of 2

noun

si·​er·​ra sē-ˈer-ə How to pronounce sierra (audio)
1
a
: a range of mountains especially with a serrated or irregular outline
b
: the country about a sierra
2
: a large scombroid fish (Scomberomorus sierra) related to the mackerel

Sierra

2 of 2

communications code word

used as a code word for the letter s

Examples of sierra in a Sentence

Noun The Sierra Nevada is a mountain range in California.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
Facial moles like cacti in the sierra, front-tooth gaps like keyhole nebulae. Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2022 Web cams pointed at Yosemite Valley’s famous granite features, including Half Dome and El Capitan, showed the high sierra landscape completely smoked out, with terrible visibility, on Thursday afternoon. Gregory Thomas, SFChronicle.com, 17 Sep. 2020 Then a couple of years later, in 1984, two American anthropologists—including Stephen Athens, a rising star in the archaeology of Ecuador’s northern sierra—showed up. Naomi Renee Cohen, Slate Magazine, 15 May 2017

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Spanish, literally, saw, from Latin serra

First Known Use

Noun

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Communications Code Word

1952, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sierra was in 1600

Dictionary Entries Near sierra

Cite this Entry

“Sierra.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sierra. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

sierra

noun
si·​er·​ra sē-ˈer-ə How to pronounce sierra (audio)
: a range of mountains especially with jagged peaks
Etymology

Noun

from Spanish sierra "a range of jagged mountains," literally, "a saw," from Latin serra "a saw" — related to serrated

More from Merriam-Webster on sierra

Last Updated: - Definition revised
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