loess
nounUK /ˈləʊ.əs/
US /ˈloʊ.əs/
Loess is a soft, dusty dirt that the wind blows and piles up.
The hills were made of loess, so the soil was soft and easy to dig.
SYNONYMS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A yellowish-brown, loosely packed deposit of wind-blown silt and clay.
Geologists studied the thick loess along the river valley.
3. A fertile soil formed from wind-deposited silt, often good for farming.
Farmers in the region grow wheat in the rich loess.
4. A geological material that can form steep cliffs or bluffs.
The loess cliffs crumbled easily after the heavy rain.