hanging wall

noun

1. Mining. the underside of the wall rock overlying a vein or bed of ore.Compare footwall(def 1).
2. Geology. a mass of rock overhanging a fault plane.

noun

1. the rocks on the upper side of an inclined fault plane or mineral veinCompare footwall

1. The block of rock lying above an inclined geologic fault plane. See more at fault. Compare footwall.