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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.
Mountain
(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 (Zoöl.), 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 (Zoöl.), the sewellel. — Mountain blue (Min.), blue carbonate of
copper; azurite. — Mountain cat (Zoöl.), the catamount. See Catamount. — Mountain chain, a
series of contiguous mountain ranges, generally in parallel or consecutive lines or curves. — Mountain
cock (Zoöl.), 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. (Zoöl.) 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 - - 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 (Zoöl.), the twite. —
Mountain magpie. (Zoöl.) (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 (Zoöl.), the ring ousel; —
called also mountain thrush and mountain colley. See Ousel. — Mountain pride, or Mountain
green (Bot.), a tree of Jamaica which has an unbranched palmlike stem, and a terminal cluster of
large, pinnate leaves. — Mountain quail (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. — Mountain range,
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