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.
© Webster 1913.
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 anthelope Zool., 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 Zool., the sewellel. -- Mountain blue Min., blue carbonate of copper; azurite. -- Mountain cat Zool., the catamount. See Catamount. -- Mountain chain, a series of contiguous mountain ranges, generally in parallel or consecutive lines or curves. -- Mountain cock Zool., 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. Zool. 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 Zool., the twite. -- Mountain magpie. Zool. (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 Zool., the ring ousel; -- called also mountain thrush and mountain colley. See Ousel. -- Mountain pride, ∨ 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 Zool., 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 Zool., 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 Zool., a ground pigeon of Jamaica, of the genus Geotrygon.
© Webster 1913. |
