elevation

The height of a place above the sea’s usual surface level.

• The map shows the mountain’s elevation.
• Trees grow slowly at this elevation.
• The town sits at an elevation of 1,200 meters.

How to use it: at an elevation of… (The village lies at an elevation of 900 meters.)

Similar words: altitude, height

Common phrases: high elevation, elevation above something, at this elevation

The act of moving something up or giving someone a higher position.

• Elevation of the injured leg may reduce swelling.
• Her elevation to director surprised the team.
• The slow elevation of the platform took several minutes.

How to use it: elevation of something (Elevation of the arm helped reduce the swelling.); elevation to something (His elevation to chairman was announced yesterday.)

Similar words: raising, lifting

Opposites: lowering

Common phrases: elevation of something, elevation to something

A place or piece of land that stands higher than the area around it.

• A small elevation overlooked the river.
• We rested on an elevation above the fields.
• Several rocky elevations broke up the flat landscape.

Similar words: rise, height

Common phrases: small elevation, rocky elevation

The angle showing how high a star or other object appears above the line where sky meets land.

• The star had an elevation of thirty degrees.
• We measured the moon’s elevation with an instrument.
• The sun’s elevation decreases during the afternoon.

How to use it: elevation of something (The elevation of the sun changes throughout the day.)

Similar words: altitude

Common phrases: elevation angle, solar elevation, elevation of something