- a tributary valley entering a main valley at a much higher level because of overdeepening of the main valley, esp by glacial erosion
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
hang′ing val′ley,
- a valley, the lower end of which opens high above a shore, usually caused by the rapid erosion of a cliff.
- a tributary valley whose mouth is set above the the floor of the main valley, usually as a result of differences in glacial erosion.
- 1895–1900
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
hanging valley n