cor·dil·le·ra, n. An extensive chain of mountains or mountain ranges, especially the principal mountain system of a continent.
Lifted with thanks from

\Cor*dil"ler*a\, n. [Sp., fr. OSp. cordilla, cordiella, dim. of cuerda a rope, string. See [31]Cord.] (Geol.) 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.
Previous months' cool words:
June, 2003: kallüsarayam (Tamil, noun, "illicit liquor")
May, 2003: hoh (Singlish, particle, "connective expression of expected agreement")
April, 2003: tmesis (English, noun, "separation of the parts of a compound word for humorous effect")
March, 2003: nerazreshimost (Russian, noun, "undecidability")
I'm updating rather erratically.
I'm finishing the Mother of Lal Grant Porpoisals and (I hope) it shows.
The ButtonTM is going be pushed on this tomorra around noon if lal goes wlel and tomorra nught if lal goes to hlel. (The proposal is foficiously due on 22 Tue 2003 but I'll be trasked if I waut until Mooday.)
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Banazîr