I. ˈmau̇nt ə n, -tə̇n noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English mountaine, from Old French montaigne, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin montanea, from feminine of montaneus of a mountain, alteration of Latin montanus, from mont-, mons mountain + -anus -an — more at mount
1.
a. : a steep elevation with a restricted summit area projecting 1000 feet or more above the surrounding land surface
a volcanic mountain
b. : a high landmass culminating in several peaks or forming an elongated ridge
c. : any conspicuous hill in an area of low relief ; especially : one that is rounded at the base and has comparatively steep sides
we were in what a Mississippian would call mountains but which New Englanders call hills — William Faulkner
2.
a. : an enormous mass or bulk : heap , hunk
beaches crowded with mountains of supplies — H.L.Merillat
a mountain of a man — E.K.Brown
b. : a vast number or quantity : pile , slew
the mountain of personnel records accumulated by the armed forces — Seth King
found a mountain of work awaiting him when he got back from vacation
crushed by … mountains of throbbing, elemental sound — Christian Science Monitor
c. : a major obstacle or difficulty : crisis
make a mountain out of a molehill
3. : a region characterized by mountains — usually used in plural
preferred the mountains to the seashore
4.
a. archaic : mount I 4
b. : mount I 5
5. or mountain wine : a sweet white Malaga wine made from grapes picked when thoroughly ripe
II. adjective
1. : consisting of mountains
mountain range
mountain country
2.
a. : situated on a mountain or in or among mountains
mountain stream
mountain cabin
a mountain republic
b. : characteristic of mountains or a mountain region
mountain music
c. : montane
mountain sheep
3. archaic : huge , mountainous
thy lakes and mountain hills — S.T.Coleridge
4. usually capitalized : rocky mountain
the Mountain states of the U.S.