krantz, krans, noun
- Forms:
- Show more Also crance, kraants, kranse, krants, krantze, kranz.
- Plurals:
- krantzes, occasionally krantze /ˈkransə/, or (formerly) krantzen.
- Origin:
- South African Dutch, Dutch, Middle DutchShow more South African Dutch krantz, krans from Dutch krans (earlier krants) from Middle Dutch crans coronet, chaplet.
1. ?obsolescent. A vertical wall of rock crowning the summit of a mountain.
1795 C.R. Hopson tr. of C.P. Thunberg’s Trav. I. 166This bitumen was to be found in great abundance in the cracks and crevices of the mountain, especially at one large projecting krants, or summit.
1972 Daily Dispatch 4 Sept.The billowing Themeda triandra in autumn looks like a great field of wheat rising right up to the basalt krantzes of the Drakensberg.
2. A sheer rock face, a precipice; an overhanging cliff. See also klipkrans.
1834 T. Pringle Afr. Sketches 515Kranz, in colonial usage, signifies a steep cliff or overhanging rock, such as the Bushmen often select for depicting their rude sketches on.
1964 V. Pohl Dawn & After 30Presently two big black horses inspanned to an empty Cape cart came careering past, heading straight for the edge of the plateau, where the kranz dropped about thirty feet.
3. Used as an element in place names: see quotations.
1847 G.H. Berkeley in Imp. Blue Bks Command Paper 969–1848, 8I had intended making a combined movement on Murray’s Krantz at daybreak to morrow morning.
1974 S. Afr. Panorama Nov. 11This krans was also known as the ‘Skietkrans’ (shot precipice) because when the north wind blew, it made sounds like shots.
A vertical wall of rock crowning the summit of a mountain.
A sheer rock face, a precipice; an overhanging cliff.
see quotations.
Visualise Quotations
Quotation summarySenses
Copyright © 2023 Dictionary Unit for South African English.