A cliffside is the steep, often vertical face of a cliff. Picture standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon and looking at that massive wall of rock dropping away beneath you: that's a cliffside. It's not the flat top where you're standing, and it's not the bottom far below, but rather the dramatic slope or wall itself connecting them.

Cliffsides can be found along ocean coasts, where waves have carved away the rock over thousands of years, or in mountains, where ancient geological forces pushed the earth upward and erosion created sheer drops. Some cliffsides are smooth and nearly vertical, while others have ledges and outcroppings where hardy plants take root or birds build nests.

When someone describes a cliffside path or cliffside monastery, they mean something built right into or perched on that steep face. These locations are often spectacular but require careful engineering because there's very little flat ground to work with. The word captures both the location and the dramatic sense of height and exposure that comes with being partway up or down a cliff face.