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vertiente

slope, watershed

noun behr-TYEN-teh Rare

Origin: From Latin vertere (to turn, to flow), via the present participle.

Also means

aspect, dimension

Usage Note

Vertiente literally means the side of a mountain from which water drains — a slope or watershed. Figuratively it means a facet, strand, or dimension of something (la vertiente cultural del problema, the cultural dimension of the problem). In physical geography, vertiente del Pacífico and vertiente del Atlántico are standard phrases for Pacific-slope and Atlantic-slope drainage systems.

Examples

"El río nace en la vertiente oriental de los Andes."

Natural Translation

The river originates on the eastern slope of the Andes.

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