Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A natural elevation of the earth's surface having considerable mass, generally steep sides, and a height greater than that of a hill.
  • noun A large heap.
  • noun A huge quantity.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun An elevation of land of considerable dimensions rising more or less abruptly above the surrounding or adjacent region.
  • noun Something resembling a mountain in being large; something of extraordinary magnitude; a great heap: as, a mountain of rubbish.
  • noun A wine made from grapes grown on high ground. See II., 2.
  • Of or pertaining to mountains; found on mountains; growing or living on a mountain: as, mountain air; mountain pines; mountain goats.
  • Produced from vines growing on the slopes of a mountain, a hill, or any high ground: as, mountain wine.
  • Like a mountain in size; vast; mighty.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A large mass of earth and rock, rising above the common level of the earth or adjacent land; earth and rock forming an isolated peak or a ridge; an eminence higher than a hill; a mount.
  • noun A range, chain, or group of such elevations.
  • noun A mountainlike mass; something of great bulk; a large quantity.
  • noun (French Hist.) a popular name given in 1793 to a party of extreme Jacobins in the National Convention, who occupied the highest rows of seats.
  • adjective Of or pertaining to a mountain or mountains; growing or living on a mountain; found on or peculiar to mountains; among mountains
  • adjective Like a mountain; mountainous; vast; very great.
  • adjective (Zoöl.) the goral.
  • adjective (Bot.) an ornamental tree, the Pyrus Americana (or Sorbus Americana), producing beautiful bunches of red berries. Its leaves are pinnate, and its flowers white, growing in fragrant clusters. The European species is the Pyrus aucuparia, or rowan tree.
  • adjective a portable barometer, adapted for safe transportation, used in measuring the heights of mountains.
  • adjective (Zoöl.) the sewellel.
  • adjective (Min.) blue carbonate of copper; azurite.
  • adjective (Zoöl.) the catamount. See Catamount.
  • adjective a series of contiguous mountain ranges, generally in parallel or consecutive lines or curves.
  • adjective (Zoöl.) capercailzie. See Capercailzie.
  • adjective (Min.) a variety of asbestus, resembling cork in its texture.
  • adjective See under Crystal.
  • adjective (Bot.) a large tree of the genus Simaruba (Simaruba amarga) growing in the West Indies, which affords a bitter tonic and astringent, sometimes used in medicine.
  • adjective [Humorous] Scotch whisky, so called because often illicitly distilled among the mountains.
  • adjective (Bot.) a small leguminous tree (Bauhinia variegata) of the East and West Indies; -- so called because of its dark wood. The bark is used medicinally and in tanning.
  • adjective (Min.) a variety of asbestus, having very fine fibers; amianthus. See Amianthus.
  • adjective (Bot.) climbing fumitory. See under Fumitory.
  • adjective (Zoöl.) See Mazama.
  • adjective (Min.) See Green earth, under Green, a.
  • adjective (Bot.) a branching shrub (Nemopanthes Canadensis), having smooth oblong leaves and red berries. It is found in the Northern United States.
  • adjective (Bot.) an American shrub (Kalmia latifolia) with glossy evergreen leaves and showy clusters of rose-colored or white flowers. The foliage is poisonous. Called also American laurel, ivy bush, and calico bush. See Kalmia.
  • adjective (Min.) a variety of asbestus, resembling leather in its texture.
  • adjective (Bot.) a plant of the genus Trifolium (Trifolium Alpinum).
  • adjective (Geol.) a series of marine limestone strata below the coal measures, and above the old red standstone of Great Britain. See Chart of Geology.
  • adjective (Zoöl.) the twite.
  • adjective (Zoöl.) The European gray shrike.
  • adjective (Bot.) See under Mahogany.
  • adjective (Min.) a light powdery variety of calcite, occurring as an efflorescence.
  • adjective (Min.) a soft spongy variety of carbonate of lime.
  • adjective (Bot.) See Mint.
  • adjective (Zoöl.) the ring ousel; -- called also mountain thrush and mountain colley. See Ousel.
  • adjective (Bot.) a tree of Jamaica (Spathelia simplex), which has an unbranched palmlike stem, and a terminal cluster of large, pinnate leaves.
  • adjective (Zoöl.) the plumed partridge (Oreortyx pictus) of California. It has two long, slender, plumelike feathers on the head. The throat and sides are chestnut; the belly is brown with transverse bars of black and white; the neck and breast are dark gray.
  • adjective a series of mountains closely related in position and direction.
  • adjective (Bot.) An American genus of grasses (Oryzopsis).

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English mountaine, from Old French montaigne, muntaigne, from Vulgar Latin *montānea, from feminine of *montāneus, of a mountain, from Latin montānus, from mōns, mont-, mountain; see men- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Middle English, from Anglo-Norman muntaine, from Vulgar Latin *montānea, feminine of *montāneus (“mountainous”), alteration of Latin montānus, from mōns, from Proto-Indo-European *monti (compare Welsh mynydd ("mountain"), Albanian mat ("bank, shore"), Avestan  (mati, "promontory")), from Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to project, stick out”). More at menace.

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Examples

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  • I am the mountain;

    You, the cooling mist.

    Blurring my boundaries

    I can hide in you.

    I am strong and rooted;

    You are glowing...pliant...ethereal.

    You are beauty to me.

    You are joy...

    And pain.

    May 4, 2008

  • When society speaks, all men listen.

    When the mountains speak, wise men listen.

    John Muir

    May 4, 2008