mountain

[ moun-tn ]

noun

1. a natural elevation of the earth's surface rising more or less abruptly to a summit, and attaining an altitude greater than that of a hill, usually greater than 2,000 feet (610 meters).
2. a large mass of something resembling this, as in shape or size.
3. a huge amount:

   a mountain of incoming mail.

4. (initial capital letter) a steam locomotive having a four-wheeled front truck, eight driving wheels, and a two-wheeled rear truck.
5. Also called mountain wine. British Archaic. a sweet Malaga wine.

adjective

1. of or relating to mountains:

   mountain air.

2. living, growing, or located in the mountains:

   mountain people.

3. resembling or suggesting a mountain, as in size.

Mountain

¹

/ ˈmaʊntɪn /

noun

1. the Mountain
   an extremist faction during the French Revolution led by Danton and Robespierre

mountain

²

/ ˈmaʊntɪn /

noun

1. 1. a natural upward projection of the earth's surface, higher and steeper than a hill and often having a rocky summit
   2. ( as modifier )

      mountain people

      mountain scenery

   3. ( in combination )

      a mountaintop

2. a huge heap or mass

   a mountain of papers

3. anything of great quantity or size
4. a surplus of a commodity, esp in the European Union

   the butter mountain

5. a mountain to climb informal.
   a serious or considerable difficulty or obstruction to overcome
6. make a mountain out of a molehill
   See molehill

mountain

/ moun′tən /

1. A generally massive and usually steep-sided, raised portion of the Earth's surface. Mountains can occur as single peaks or as part of a long chain. They can form through volcanic activity, by erosion, or by uplift of the continental crust when two tectonic plates collide. The Himalayas, which are the highest mountains in the world, were formed when the plate carrying the landmass of India collided with the plate carrying the landmass of China.

Other Words From

• mountain·less adjective
• sub·mountain adjective
• under·mountain noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of mountain¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English mountaine, from Old French montaigne, from Vulgar Latin montānea (unrecorded), noun use of feminine of montāneus (unrecorded), from Latin montān(us) “mountainous” (from mont-, stem of mōns “hill, mountain” + -ānus -an ) + -eus, adjective suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of mountain¹

C18: so called because its members sat in the highest row of seats at the National Convention Hall in 1793

Origin of mountain²

C13: from Old French montaigne, from Vulgar Latin montānea (unattested) mountainous, from Latin montānus, from mons mountain

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. make a mountain out of a molehill. molehill ( def 2 ).

More idioms and phrases containing mountain

see if the mountain won't come to Muhammad ; make a mountain out of a molehill .

Example Sentences

At the moment, you are racing against three other riders up one of the mountains.

From FiveThirtyEight

They lowered the price of gasoline, charging less than the station at the bottom of the mountain and less than the stations up in Shaver.

From Washington Blade

At the park’s eastern Rincon Mountain District, mountain bikers will find a section of singletrack that links to more than 800 miles of dirt riding along the Arizona Trail.

From Outside Online

Crack a cold one after a race, a hard session, or a long day in the mountains.

From Outside Online

That was a big part of why we wanted to defend our side of the mountain.

From Outside Online

Then they came up against a police patrol on mountain bicycles, which again led to more shooting, without injuries.

From The Daily Beast

Also in Germany, he made The Mountain Eagle, which was set, Hitchcock recalled, “in Old Kentucky, wherever that might be.”

From The Daily Beast

Cadets mimicked his commands, which he issued in drawn-out syllables in his high-pitched, mountain-inflected voice.

From The Daily Beast

There were rumors that Schmidt was motivated by buried treasure or another secret of the mountain, but they were never proven.

From The Daily Beast

Then, he set to work building a shortcut that would take the minable minerals he found through the mountain.

From The Daily Beast

We had now approached closely to the foot of the mountain-ranges, and their lofty summits were high above us in mid-air.

From Project Gutenberg

The jagged top and spurs of San Jacinto Mountain shone like the turrets and posterns of a citadel built of rubies.

From Project Gutenberg

These residents then killed the parish priest, and without arms fled for safety to the mountain ravines.

From Project Gutenberg

We came down the rest of the mountain more carefully, though still a great deal too fast.

From Project Gutenberg

A short distance off was another ridge or spur of the mountain, widening out into almost a plateau.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• alp
• bluff
• butte
• cliff
• crag
• elevation
• eminence
• height
• mesa
• mount
• palisade
• peak
• pike
• precipice
• range
• ridge
• sierra
• tor
• volcano