mechanical erosion

noun

The physical breakdown and removal of rock and soil by natural forces like wind, water (rivers, waves), ice (glaciers), and temperature changes; agents physically abrade, shatter, or dislodge material, transporting it elsewhere, with common examples being riverbank undercutting, sandblasting by wind, and frost wedging in rocks.

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Meanings

nounmechanical erosion (plural mechanical erosions)

plural mechanical erosions

  1. The physical breakdown and removal of rock and soil by natural forces like wind, water (rivers, waves), ice (glaciers), and temperature changes; agents physically abrade, shatter, or dislodge material, transporting it elsewhere, with common examples being riverbank undercutting, sandblasting by wind, and frost wedging in rocks.
Cite this entry
APA

mechanical erosion. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mechanical%20erosion

MLA

“mechanical erosion.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mechanical%20erosion. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mechanical erosion,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mechanical%20erosion.

Source: mechanical erosion on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.