meseta

plateau

noun meh-SEH-tah Rare

Origin: From mesa (table) + diminutive suffix -eta.

Also means

tableland

Usage Note

Meseta specifically denotes a high, flat, elevated plain — most famously la Meseta Central (the Spanish Central Plateau), the vast tableland that dominates the Iberian Peninsula. In geography it is distinguished from a llanura (low plain) by its elevation. The diminutive origin from mesa (table) is still transparent.

Examples

"La meseta castellana es árida en verano."

Natural Translation

The Castilian plateau is arid in summer.

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