CORDILLERA
Etymology
Noun
cordillera (plural cordilleras)
An extensive, continent-wide chain of mountains, especially one in the Americas.
Proper noun
Cordillera (plural er-noun)
A province of Bolivia, see Cordillera Province (Bolivia)
A province of Chile, see Cordillera Province, Chile
A department in Paraguay, see Cordillera Department
A region of Philippines, see Cordillera Autonomous Region
Source: Wiktionary
Cor*dil"ler*a (kr-dl"lr-; Sp. kr`d-ly"r), n. Etym: [Sp., fr. OSp.
cordilla, cordiella, dim. of cuerda a rope, string. See Cord.]
(Geol.)
Definition: A mountain ridge or chain.
Note: Cordillera is sometimes applied, in geology, to the system of
mountain chains near the border of a continent; thus, the western
cordillera of North America in the United States includes the Rocky
Mountains, Sierra Nevada, Coast and Cascade ranges.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition