abgeflachter

Abgeflachter is a German adjective meaning flattened or leveled. It describes surfaces, landforms, or other features whose relief has been reduced, typically through erosion, weathering, glaciation, or human leveling.

Geology and geomorphology use abgeflachter to characterize rock faces, ridges, plateaus, and other terrain that has lost convexities and displays a more even profile. In architecture, surveying, and archaeology the term may describe surfaces that have been stripped of relief or ornamentation to a plain finish. Examples include abgeflachte Felswand, abgeflachter Hügel, or abgeflachte Bodenflächen.

Usage notes: The word is primarily used in technical writing and descriptive geography; it is less common in everyday speech. Its form changes with gender and case, e.g., der abgeflachte Rand, die abgeflachte Fläche, dem abgeflachten Gipfel, etc.

Etymology: It is derived from the prefix ab- and the past participle form of flachen (to flatten), yielding abgeflacht, with the attributive form abgeflachter (masculine), abgeflachte (feminine/neuter).

See also: abgeflacht, flach, Abflachung, Abtragung.