rasante

grade, slope, gradient

noun rrah-SAHN-teh Rare

Also means

grazing shot (military)

Usage Note

Rasante is used in road engineering and topography for the profile or gradient of a road surface — cambio de rasante is a crest or dip where visibility is limited, a key term in Spanish traffic law. As an adjective (invariable) it means 'grazing' or 'skimming the surface': vuelo rasante (low-level flight), bala rasante (grazing bullet). Drivers must reduce speed at cambios de rasante.

Examples

"Reduzca la velocidad en el cambio de rasante."

Natural Translation

Reduce speed at the crest of the hill.

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