Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Mountain?

\Moun"tain\, n. [OE. mountaine, montaine, F. montagne, LL. montanea, montania, fr. L. mons, montis, a mountain; cf. montanus belonging to a mountain. See 1st {Mount}.] 1. 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. 2. pl. A range, chain, or group of such elevations; as, the White Mountains. 3. A mountainlike mass; something of great bulk. I should have been a mountain of mummy. --Shak. {The Mountain} (--La montagne) (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.
\Moun"tain\, a. 1. Of or pertaining to a mountain or mountains; growing or living on a mountain; found on or peculiar to mountains; among mountains; as, a mountain torrent; mountain pines; mountain goats; mountain air; mountain howitzer. 2. Like a mountain; mountainous; vast; very great. The high, the mountain majesty of worth. --Byron. {Mountain antelope} (Zo["o]l.), the goral. {Mountain ash} (Bot.), an ornamental tree, the {Pyrus (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 {P. aucuparia}, or rowan tree. {Mountain barometer}, a portable barometer, adapted for safe transportation, used in measuring the heights of mountains. {Mountain beaver} (Zo["o]l.), the sewellel. {Mountain blue} (Min.), blue carbonate of copper; azurite. {Mountain cat} (Zo["o]l.), the catamount. See {Catamount}. {Mountain chain}, a series of contiguous mountain ranges, generally in parallel or consecutive lines or curves. {Mountain cock} (Zo["o]l.), capercailzie. See {Capercailzie}. {Mountain cork} (Min.), a variety of asbestus, resembling cork in its texture. {Mountain crystal}. See under {Crystal}. {Mountain damson} (Bot.), a large tree of the genus {Simaruba} ({S. amarga}) growing in the West Indies, which affords a bitter tonic and astringent, sometimes used in medicine. {Mountain dew}, Scotch whisky, so called because often illicitly distilled among the mountains. [Humorous] {Mountain ebony} (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. {Mountain flax} (Min.), a variety of asbestus, having very fine fibers; amianthus. See {Amianthus}. {Mountain fringe} (Bot.), climbing fumitory. See under {Fumitory}. {Mountain goat}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Mazama}. {Mountain green}. (Min.) (a) Green malachite, or carbonate of copper. (b) See {Green earth}, under {Green}, a. {Mountain holly} (Bot.), a branching shrub ({Nemopanthes Canadensis}), having smooth oblong leaves and red berries. It is found in the Northern United States. {Mountain laurel} (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}. {Mountain leather} (Min.), a variety of asbestus, resembling leather in its texture. {Mountain licorice} (Bot.), a plant of the genus {Trifolium} ({T. Alpinum}). {Mountain limestone} (Geol.), a series of marine limestone strata below the coal measures, and above the old red standstone of Great Britain. See Chart of {Geology}. {Mountain linnet} (Zo["o]l.), the twite. {Mountain magpie}. (Zo["o]l.) (a) The yaffle, or green woodpecker. (b) The European gray shrike. {Mountain mahogany} (Bot.) See under {Mahogany}. {Mountain meal} (Min.), a light powdery variety of calcite, occurring as an efflorescence. {Mountain milk} (Min.), a soft spongy variety of carbonate of lime. {Mountain mint}. (Bot.) See {Mint}. {Mountain ousel} (Zo["o]l.), the ring ousel; -- called also {mountain thrush} and {mountain colley}. See {Ousel}. {Mountain pride}, or {Mountain green} (Bot.), a tree of Jamaica ({Spathelia simplex}), which has an unbranched palmlike stem, and a terminal cluster of large, pinnate leaves. {Mountain quail} (Zo["o]l.), 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. {Mountain range}, a series of mountains closely related in position and direction. {Mountain rice}. (Bot.) (a) An upland variety of rice, grown without irrigation, in some parts of Asia, Europe, and the United States. (b) An American genus of grasses ({Oryzopsis}). {Mountain rose} (Bot.), a species of rose with solitary flowers, growing in the mountains of Europe ({Rosa alpina}). {Mountain soap} (Min.), a soft earthy mineral, of a brownish color, used in crayon painting; saxonite. {Mountain sorrel} (Bot.), a low perennial plant ({Oxyria digyna} with rounded kidney-form leaves, and small greenish flowers, found in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and in high northern latitudes. --Gray. {Mountain sparrow} (Zo["o]l.), the European tree sparrow. {Mountain spinach}. (Bot.) See {Orach}. {Mountain tobacco} (Bot.), a composite plant ({Arnica montana}) of Europe; called also {leopard's bane}. {Mountain witch} (Zo["o]l.), a ground pigeon of Jamaica, of the genus {Geotrygon}.