Word: declivity (noun)

Associations

"Declivity" means a downward slope or a hill that goes down. It is often used in geography or when describing land shapes.

• Example 1: "The hikers carefully walked down the declivity to reach the river." Here, it means going down a slope.
• Example 2: "The house was built at the top of a declivity, giving it a nice view of the valley." This shows the land going down from the house.
• Example 3: "Farmers prefer gentle declivities for planting because water drains well." This means small downward slopes. A synonym is "slope," but "declivity" usually means a downward slope specifically, while "slope" can be up or down.

Substitution

You can use words like:

• slope (general, up or down)
• decline (more about the act of going down or decrease)
• descent (focuses on the action of going down) Using "declivity" is more formal and specific to land going downward.

Deconstruction

"Declivity" comes from Latin:

• "de-" means "down"
• "clivus" means "slope" or "hill" So, "declivity" literally means "down slope."

Inquiry

• Can you think of a place near you that has a declivity?
• How would you describe walking down a declivity compared to walking on flat land?
• Why do you think knowing the word "declivity" might be useful when talking about nature or geography?