promontory

Etymology

From Medieval Latin prōmontorium, from prō- + *mineō (“to project or jut”), from Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to stand out”).

noun

1. A high point of land extending into a body of water, headland; cliff.
   South of Hang-chou Wan (Bay) below Shanghai, the China coastline changes from a smooth, flat topography to one of irregular, rocky promontories and numerous islands. Foochow, the Fugiu of Marco Polo, dates from the seventh century. Offshore the Ma-tsu Lieh-tao (Matsu and Pei-kan, or Changshu Islands) are heavily fortified Nationalist strongholds. 1970, Ken Fitzgerald, The Space Age Photographic Atlas, Crown Publishers, page 196
2. (anatomy) A projecting part of the body.
   1. A projection on the sacrum.
   2. A rounded elevation in the tympanum of the ear.