mountain

noun

moun·​tain ˈmau̇n-tᵊn How to pronounce mountain (audio)
often attributive
1
a
: a landmass that projects conspicuously above its surroundings and is higher than a hill
The sun set behind the mountains.
b
: an elongated ridge
2
a
: a great mass
a mountain of a manE. K. Brown
b
: a vast number or quantity
a mountain of mail
a mountain of debt

Examples of mountain in a Sentence

She watched the sun set behind the mountains. a cabin in the mountains They both like mountain climbing. We've received a mountain of mail.
Recent Examples on the Web That rain is expected to give way to snow across Southern California’s highest elevations, starting Saturday and picking up Sunday, and will probably affect some mountain passes, including the Grapevine, Schoenfeld said. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2024 If Ellison and his partners take the whole package, the messiness of breaking up the mountain goes away. Jennifer Maas, Variety, 22 Mar. 2024 These are more purely gentian-focused, typically made of gentian lutea, a bright yellow flowering plant that grows wild in many mountain regions; the plant has thick roots that are dried and used for the drink. M. Carrie Allan, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024 Buena Vista is known for its beautiful mountain views, camping, fly-fishing, and excellent rafting, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding opportunities on the Arkansas River. Amiee White Beazley, Travel + Leisure, 21 Mar. 2024 Also of note: the Sonoran Desert Nature Trail, which offers sweeping mountain views complete with telescopes and an organ pipe cactus forest. Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2024 During the early years of the coronavirus pandemic, the practice of Victory Gardens returned to the mountain west. Tamara Yakaboski, The Denver Post, 20 Mar. 2024 The mountain canopies provide cool, forested areas for wildlife and are considered critical stepping stones for species to migrate in response to climate change and habitat degradation. Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 19 Mar. 2024 The Deep Fear star popped the question while the couple was enjoying a ski getaway in Switzerland, getting down on one knee on the Peak Walk by Tissot, a hanging mountain bridge. Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 18 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mountain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English montaine, monteine, mounteyne, borrowed from Anglo-French muntaine, monteigne, mountaigne "elevated region, mountain range, mountain" (also continental Old French, Middle French montagne), going back to Vulgar Latin *montānea, from Latin mont-, mons "mountain, hill" + Vulgar Latin *-ānea, collective suffix, from neuter plural of Latin -āneus (from -ānus -an entry 2 + -eus -eous) — more at mount entry 1

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of mountain was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near mountain

Cite this Entry

“Mountain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mountain. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mountain

noun
moun·​tain ˈmau̇nt-ᵊn How to pronounce mountain (audio)
1
: an elevation higher than a hill
2
: a great mass or huge number
a mountain of mail

More from Merriam-Webster on mountain

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!