Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A high ridge of land or rock jutting out into a body of water; a headland.
  • noun Anatomy A projecting part.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A high point of land or rock projecting into the sea beyond the line of coast; a headland.
  • noun In anatomy, a prominent or protuberant part; a prominence, eminence, or protuberance.
  • Resembling a promontory; high; projecting.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Phys. Geog.) A high point of land or rock projecting into the sea beyond the line of coast; a headland; a high cape.
  • noun (Anat.) A projecting part. Especially: (a) The projecting angle of the ventral side of the sacrum where it joins the last lumbar vertebra. (b) A prominence on the inner wall of the tympanum of the ear.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A high point of land extending into a body of water, headland; cliff.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a natural elevation (especially a rocky one that juts out into the sea)

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin prōmontorium, alteration (influenced by mōns, mont-, mount) of prōmunturium, probably from prōminēre, to jut out; see prominent.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin promontorium, which is said to be derived from either mons ("mountain") or munctor ("nose").

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Examples

  • Just over the promontory is an isthmus with a small sheltered beach semi-enclosed by two rocky arms.

    Tenacatita: hidden jewel 2005

  • Just over the promontory is an isthmus with a small sheltered beach semi-enclosed by two rocky arms.

    Tenacatita: hidden jewel 2005

  • Though fishermen and picnickers sometimes appear in the afternoons or evenings, the lakefront on both sides of the promontory is pristine and undeveloped.

    The Wrath of Khan 2005

  • Though fishermen and picnickers sometimes appear in the afternoons or evenings, the lakefront on both sides of the promontory is pristine and undeveloped.

    The Wrath of Khan 2005

  • Though fishermen and picnickers sometimes appear in the afternoons or evenings, the lakefront on both sides of the promontory is pristine and undeveloped.

    The Wrath of Khan 2005

  • Carmel -- the mountain promontory north of Israel, in Asher, abounding in rich pastures, olives, and vines.

    Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible 1871

  • He had just become aware of the first dusky breath of the twilight, when a tiny sloop appeared, rounding the Deid Heid, as they called the promontory which closed in the bay on the east.

    Malcolm George MacDonald 1864

  • The plants on the promontory are also changing with the season.

    Country diary: South Uist Christine Smith 2010

  • At the tip of the promontory is the Dungeness nuclear power station.

    Dungeness's strange beauty under threat from shingle plan 2012

  • Below the promontory was a level area, perfect for a trading settlement.

    Champlain's Dream David Hackett Fischer 2008

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