mound

¹

[ mound ]

noun

1. a natural elevation of earth; a hillock or knoll.
2. an artificial elevation of earth, as for a defense work or a dam or barrier; an embankment.
3. a heap or raised mass:

   a mound of papers;

   a mound of hay.

4. Baseball. the slightly raised ground from which the pitcher delivers the ball. rubber ¹( def 14 ).
5. an elevation formed of earth, sand, stones, etc., especially over a grave or ruins.
6. a tumulus or other raised work of earth dating from a prehistoric or long-past period.

verb (used with object)

1. to form into a mound; heap up.
2. to furnish with a mound of earth, as for a defense.

mound

²

[ mound ]

noun

1. a globe topped with a cross that symbolizes power and constitutes part of the regalia of an English sovereign.

mound

¹

/ maʊnd /

noun

1. heraldry a rare word for orb

mound

²

/ maʊnd /

noun

1. a raised mass of earth, debris, etc
2. any heap or pile

   a mound of washing

3. a small natural hill
4. archaeol another word for barrow 2
5. an artificial ridge of earth, stone, etc, as used for defence

verb

1. often foll by up to gather into a mound; heap
2. tr to cover or surround with a mound

   to mound a grave

Other Words From

• un·mounded adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of mound¹

First recorded in 1505–15; of obscure origin; noun “hedge or fence used as a boundary or protection,” verb “to enclose with a fence”; compare Old English mund “hand,” hence “protection, protector”; cognate with Old Norse mund “hand,” Middle Dutch mond “protection”

Origin of mound²

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English mounde, mundie, from Old French monde, munde, from Latin mundus “world”

Word History and Origins

Origin of mound¹

C13 (meaning: world, C16: orb): from French monde, from Latin mundus world

Origin of mound²

C16: earthwork, perhaps from Old English mund hand, hence defence: compare Middle Dutch mond protection

Example Sentences

Excavate snow inside the mound until you reach the base of every stick.

From Popular-Science

The lasting image of Strasburg’s 2020 season was him standing behind the mound at Camden Yards, shaking his hand as if he couldn’t feel it.

From Washington Post

At one point Turner removed his mask again to pose on the mound with the trophy, alongside his wife, Kourtney, leaning over to kiss her.

From Washington Post

Inside each mound, which is a few meters tall, millions of millimeter-sized termites live.

From Quanta Magazine

One NL scout8 said deGrom had unusual upside late in his career because he started so late on the mound, converting from shortstop to pitcher in his final season at Stetson University.

From FiveThirtyEight

Scans of many of these have been amassed by Vieira on his Facebook page, Stone Builders, Mound Builders and the Giants of Ancient.

From The Daily Beast

Yezidis play a sort of basketball game here, balling cloth up and tossing it onto the top of the mound.

From The Daily Beast

Here Luqman also pointed out a curious structure, a mound rising on the side of the wall in front of all the urns.

From The Daily Beast

Salama al Sersawi leans on a bench, waiting to get his mound of matted hair reined in.

From The Daily Beast

The salmon is presented atop a mound of sautéed vegetables: mushrooms, peppers, squash, onions, leafy greens, and herbs.

From The Daily Beast

On three sides the surrounding ground rose steeply, forming an irregular horseshoe mound that opened to the west.

From Project Gutenberg

It was doubtless the case with the Mound Builders, of whom these communities were probably the descendants.

From Project Gutenberg

This morning when I went I found them cutting into a mound of what looked like solid white chalk.

From Project Gutenberg

She called her father, who had remained a few steps away from the little mound; but when he reached her it had all disappeared.

From Project Gutenberg

Farnham soon came up to the mound; but they did not begin to move till Ranger shouted out that all were safely over.

From Project Gutenberg