TERMINOLOGY 123 



Headland A cape or promontory of some boldness or elevation. 



Heath A tract of wasteland; peat bog, usually covered by a low 



shrubby growth, but may have scattered small open water 

 holes. Local in eastern Maine. 



Height of land The highest part of a plain or plateau. 



High-water line {A-9) The line along the shore to which the waters normally reach 



at high water; in tidal waters, generally taken to mean the 

 line where the plane of Mean High Water intersects the land. 



HUl An eminence, less than a mountain, rising above the surround- 

 ing land. 



Hillock A small hill. 



Hole A small bay, as Woods Hole, Mass. Local in New England. 



Hollow A small ravine; a low tract of land encompassed by hills or 



mountains. 



Hummock A rounded elevation of ground, of limited size, rising out of a 



level surface (often swamp), frequently densely wooded. 



Inlet A narrow waterway or a gap in the land, which connects a small 



body of water with a larger body; a small narrow bay or 

 creek. 



Island A body of land extending above and completely surrounded by 



water at the Mean High Water stage; an area of dry land en- 

 tirely surrounded by water or swamp; an area of swamp 

 entirely surrounded by open water. 



Island shelf A zone adjacent to an island and extending from the low-water 



line to a depth at which there is a marked increase of slope 

 to greater depth. 



Island slope A declivity from the outer edge of an island shelf into greater 



depths. 



Islet A small island. 



Isthmus A narrow strip of land connecting two larger bodies of land. 



Jetty {0-8, 8a, 6a) A structure built out into the water to restrain or direct cur- 

 rents, usually to protect a river mouth or harbor entrance 

 from silting. 



Key A low island or reef; a cay. 



Kill A channel, creek, stream, as the kills between Staten Island 



and Bergen Neck. 



Knob A rounded hill or mountain, especially an isolated one. 



Knoll A small round hiU; a mound; a seamount rising less than 500 



fathoms from the sea floor and having a pointed or rounded 

 top. 



Lagoon A shallow body of water, as a pond or lake, which usually has 



a shallow restricted outlet to the sea. 



Lake {C-15) Any standing body of inland water, generally of considerable 



size. 



Landslide Earth and rock which becomes loosened from a hillside by 



moisture or snow, and slides or falls down the slope. 



Lava {C-12) Fluid rock such as that which issues from a volcano or a fissure 



in the earth's surface; the same after cooling. 



