mount

1 of 3

noun (1)

1
: a high hill : mountain
used especially before an identifying name
Mount Everest
2
archaic : earthwork sense 1
3

mount

2 of 3

verb

mounted; mounting; mounts

intransitive verb

1
2
: to increase in amount or extent
expenses began to mount
3
: to get up on something above the level of the ground
especially : to seat oneself (as on a horse) for riding

transitive verb

1
a
: to go up : climb
b(1)
: to seat or place oneself on
(2)
: to climb on top of for copulation
2
a
: to lift up : raise
b(1)
: to put or have in position
mount artillery
(2)
: to have as equipment
c(1)
: to organize and equip (an attacking force)
mount an army
(2)
: to launch and carry out (something, such as an assault or a campaign)
3
: to set on something that elevates
4
a
: to cause to get on a means of conveyance
b
: to furnish with animals for riding
5
: to post or set up for defense or observation
mounted some guards
6
a
: to attach to a support
b
: to arrange or assemble for use or display
7
a
: to prepare (something, such as a specimen) for examination or display
b
: to prepare and supply with materials needed for performance or execution
mount an opera
mountable adjective
mounter noun

mount

3 of 3

noun (2)

1
: an act or instance of mounting
specifically : an opportunity to ride a horse in a race
2
: frame, support: such as
a
: the material (such as cardboard) on which a picture is mounted
b
: a jewelry setting
c(1)
: an undercarriage or part on which a device (such as a motor or an artillery piece) rests in service
(2)
: an attachment for an accessory
d
: a hinge, card, or acetate envelope for mounting a stamp
e
: a glass slide with its accessories on which objects are placed for examination with a microscope
3
: a means of conveyance
especially : saddle horse

Examples of mount in a Sentence

Verb Their troubles have continued to mount. The pressure mounted as the crisis continued. The cowboy mounted his horse and then quickly dismounted. She mounted her bicycle and rode away.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
California libraries may lose free passes to state parks as budget deficit mounts. Harriet Ryan, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2024 Beyond the tech, Tatoosh is one of the quietest yachts afloat thanks to twin DEUTZ-MWM 2,500 hp diesel engines with Visco Masse rubber mounts. Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 1 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, the Chinese currency has declined to its lowest level against the dollar in 16 years as evidence of domestic-capital flight mounts. Desmond Lachman, National Review, 13 Feb. 2024 On a flight without a seat back screen, mom and content creator Autumn Grace, who regularly posts home and travel tips, showed how the airplane's motion sickness bag could become an iPhone mount, bringing your screen to eye-level. Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 12 Feb. 2024 Navigate hands-free with the most sturdy and durable car phone mounts. Rena Behar, Travel + Leisure, 15 Feb. 2024 Related article Rubio dismisses concerns about Trump’s NATO remarks as backlash mounts As with much foreign policy, the Republican frontrunner radically misunderstood the nature and purpose of this relationship. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 12 Feb. 2024 Many MagSafe car mounts (such as this one by Belkin or ESR’s own car mount MagSafe charger that includes a fan) cost twice that amount. Amrita Khalid, The Verge, 24 Jan. 2024 As the pressure for swift climate action mounts, governments, investors, and society must recognize that sustainable urban transport systems will cost-effectively facilitate a greener future. David Stubblefield, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2024
Verb
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell joined a chorus of US officials who have argued that mounting bad commercial real estate loans will likely cause some bank failures, but don’t pose a risk to the overall system. Paige Smith, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2024 He's been spotted attending church services, was photographed during an audience with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and appeared in a video reading cards from well-wishers, but demands are mounting for the monarch to be more transparent about his condition. Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024 The Hovde camp's website mounts a three-pronged attack against Baldwin, seeking to label her as a career politician, tie her to economic inflation and criticize her for failing to secure the U.S.-Mexico border. Jessie Opoien, Journal Sentinel, 6 Mar. 2024 New England Democrats mounted a determined write-in effort for Mr. Biden, hoping to avoid an embarrassing loss. Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2024 The Bears mounted a two-out rally against Gabe Gaeckle in the ninth inning, starting with one-out singles by Hayden Seldomridge and Jagger Schattle. Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 6 Mar. 2024 The string of losses, and Trump's mounting delegate lead, put serious question marks over Haley's path forward in the Republican primary. Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2024 Yet the project has been beset with delays and mounting costs. Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 In another sign of the mounting sense of unease, the new commander of the Ukrainian military, Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, twice in the past week scolded his subordinate officers for poor performance on this key front line. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mount.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English munt, mont, mount, in part going back to Old English munt, borrowed from Latin mont-, mons; in part borrowed from Anglo-French munt, mount (continental Old French mon, mont), going back to Latin mont-, mons "mountain, hill, towering heap, pile," derivative, with the suffix *-ti-, of Indo-European *mon- "elevation, height," whence also, from a base *monii̯o-, Welsh mynydd "mountain," Old Cornish menit (Cornish meneth), Old Breton monid (Breton menez)

Note: Also cited as comparable forms are Avestan maiti- "mountain" (hapax legomenon—see C. Bartholomae, Altiranisches Wörterbuch, 1112-13) and Old Icelandic mønir "ridge of a roof." The etymon *mon- is usually taken to be o-grade ablaut of the verbal base *men- (or *min-) seen in Latin minae "threats" and ēminēre "to stick out, protrude" (see minatory, mouth entry 1).

Verb

Middle English mounten, monten "to rise up, ascend, get up onto (a horse), add up (to)," borrowed from Anglo-French monter, munter (transitive) "to climb (something), get up onto (a horse), add up to, set up, prepare," (intransitive) "to go upward, get on horseback, go up in the world, rise in intensity" (also continental Old & Middle French), going back to Vulgar Latin *montāre, derivative of Latin mont-, mons "mountain, hill" — more at mount entry 1

Noun (2)

derivative of mount entry 2

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mount was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near mount

Cite this Entry

“Mount.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mount. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mount

1 of 3 noun
: mountain
used especially before an identifying name
Mount Everest

mount

2 of 3 verb
1
b
: to go up : climb
mount a ladder
2
: to get up onto something
mount a platform
3
: to furnish with riding animals or vehicles
mounted infantry
4
: to increase rapidly in amount
mounting debts
5
: to prepare for use, examination, or display especially by fastening in position on a support
mount a picture on cardboard
mount a specimen
6
: to furnish with scenery and costumes : stage
7
: to place in position for the purpose of defense or observation
mounted some guards

mount

3 of 3 noun
1
: frame, support: as
a
: a jewelry setting
b
: a glass slide on which objects are placed for examination under a microscope
2
Etymology

Noun

from Old English munt and early French mont, both meaning "mount" and both from Latin mont-, mons (same meaning)

Verb

Middle English mounten "to increase, rise," from early French monter (same meaning), derived from Latin mont-, mons "hill, mount"

Medical Definition

mount

1 of 2 transitive verb
: to prepare for examination or display
specifically : to place (an object) on a slide for microscopic examination
mount a specimen

mount

2 of 2 noun
1
: a glass slide with its accessories on which objects are placed for examination with a microscope
2
: a specimen mounted on a slide for microscopic examination

More from Merriam-Webster on mount

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