massif

What it means

1. A principal mountain mass.

   1 more example

   This is itself a cheerless spot, particularly on a rainy day, when, overshadowed by the great massif of rock that towers in the background, and surrounded by the grey and cheerless quarries, it has a depressing character much in contrast with the green verdure encountered on the northern end of this interesting branch line.

   1954 August, H. M. Madgwick, “The Blaenau Festiniog Tunnel”, in Railway Magazine, page 569

2. A block of the earth's crust bounded by faults or flexures and displaced as a unit without internal change; normally consists of gneisses and schists.

   Some deposits of iron ore are scattered along the edges of the massif in south - central France.

   1921, Max Roesler, The Iron-ore Resources of Europe, page 68

   2 more examples

   The southern borders of these states are keyed to the same horizontal projection, one surveyed by the frontier planter William Byrd in 1728, while the rivers forming their northern extents fall back just opposite each other from the flanks of the Appalachian massif.

   2011, John Jeremiah Sullivan, Pulphead

   The southern portion of the zone from the Maritime Alps to the Pelvoux massif is complicated by the movements which have accompanied the formation of the mountains of Provence.

   1891, Carl Diener, “Reviews and Notices”, in The Alpine Journal, volume 15, page 564

In a sentence

This is itself a cheerless spot, particularly on a rainy day, when, overshadowed by the great massif of rock that towers in the background, and surrounded by the grey and cheerless quarries, it has a depressing character much in contrast with the green verdure encountered on the northern end of this interesting branch line.

1954 August, H. M. Madgwick, “The Blaenau Festiniog Tunnel”, in Railway Magazine, page 569

Where it comes from

1. Ancient Greekμᾶζα“barley-cake, lump (of dough)”
2. Latinmassa
3. Middle Frenchmassif
4. Frenchmassif
5. Englishmassif

Borrowed from French massif, from Middle French massif, ultimately from Latin massa, from Ancient Greek μᾶζα (mâza, “barley-cake, lump (of dough)”).