a range of mountains (usually with jagged peaks and irregular outline)
"The climbers trekked along the rugged edge of the Sierra Nevada, where sharp, jagged peaks pierced the thin morning air."
a Spanish mackerel of western North America
"The fisherman proudly displayed his catch, explaining that he had finally hooked a large sierra in the Pacific waters off California."
A rugged range of mountains.
"The hikers paused at the edge of the sierra to admire the jagged peaks rising above the valley."
In plain English: A sierra is a long range of mountains that often looks like a jagged saw blade.
"The hikers climbed up the rugged sierra to see the sunrise over the peaks."
Usage: Use this term to refer specifically to any large, rugged mountain range rather than individual peaks or hills. It is often capitalized when naming specific ranges like the Sierra Nevada but remains lowercase in general descriptions.
A female given name of modern American usage, from the Spanish noun, confused with Ciara and Sarah.
"My neighbor just adopted a baby girl named Sierra, which is becoming quite popular in our community."
The word sierra comes from Spanish and originally derives from the Latin word for "saw." It was applied to mountain ranges because their jagged crests resemble the teeth of a saw when viewed from afar.