mountain

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A very high, steep hill, usually with rocky sides and a peak.

   Everest is the highest mountain in the world.

2. 2
   noun

   A very large amount or number of something.

   I have a mountain of paperwork to deal with at the end of each month.

3. 3
   noun

   A difficult task or challenge.

   After the injury, getting back to full fitness felt like climbing a mountain.

Common collocations

• mountain village Adjective + noun
• mountain pass Adjective + noun

From Middle English mountayne, mountain, montaigne, from Anglo-Norman muntaine, muntaigne, from Early Medieval Latin montānia, a collective based on Latin montem (“mountain”), from Proto-Indo-European *monti (compare Welsh mynydd (“mountain”), Albanian mat (“bank, shore”), Avestan 𐬨𐬀𐬙𐬌 (mati, “promontory”)), from *men- (“to project, stick out”). Displaced native English barrow (from Old English beorg) and down (from Old English dūn), and partially displaced non-native Old English munt, from Latin mōns (whence English mount).

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