Skip to content

cordillera

mountain range

noun kohr-dee-YEH-rah Rare
Travel & Places Geography

Origin: From Spanish cordel (rope), referring to the chain-like appearance of linked peaks.

Usage Note

Cordillera refers to an extended chain of mountains, most famously the Cordillera de los Andes. It implies a connected system rather than a single montaña or a cluster (sierra). The word is widely recognised in English-language geography thanks to 'the Cordillera'.

Examples

"La cordillera andina cruza varios países sudamericanos."

Natural Translation

The Andean mountain range crosses several South American countries.

Explore Spanish by topic