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
But the real star of the show here is the Z-series lens system with its wider base mount, which allows more light to the corners of the sensors. Scott Gilbertson, WIRED, 27 Nov. 2023 The tension mounts, and soon husband and wife are having an ugly, petty fight. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2023 In the final seconds of the countdown, the deluge system will release up to 358,000 gallons of fresh water through channels built into a steel plate installed underneath the pad's circular launch mount. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 18 Nov. 2023 The clamp mount is sturdy, can be affixed to anything 1.5 inches thick or less, and is strong enough to hold up against bumpy rides. Katherine Alex Beaven, Travel + Leisure, 19 Oct. 2023 Calls for a cease-fire have grown as the casualty toll mounts in Gaza under Israeli airstrikes and siege. Ellen Francis, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2023 Mount it to your wall, or stand it on legs (the leg mounts are sold separately). Andrew Waite, Field & Stream, 1 Nov. 2023 Even as frustration mounts with Senate Republicans, most ABC News spoke to Thursday morning are pushing back on a growing effort by Democrats to pass the temporary change to the Senate rules. Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2023 The effort is being launched as tough-on-crime rhetoric mounts around public safety and as state lawmakers continue discussions about how to address an increase in violent crime among teenagers, including carjackings and gun violations. Ovetta Wiggins, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2023
Verb
The proposal, which the Facebook and Instagram parent company is set to announce Wednesday, counters mounting calls by state and federal policymakers for individual sites to proactively screen kids to limit their use of social media platforms over safety concerns. Naomi Nix, Washington Post, 15 Nov. 2023 Amid mounting scrutiny from figures in the entertainment industry and beyond, the studio giant later reversed its decision to bury the film, permitting director Dave Green to shop the title around to other distributors, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 15 Nov. 2023 The sense of mounting danger — from both the elements and the many powerful and arrogant people at the hotel — builds nicely throughout. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 2023 Burning through cash The financial picture that emerges from filing depicts a company that's facing mounting losses in the face of growing, yet meager, sales. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 14 Nov. 2023 The company that held the lease at the storage facility is under mounting scrutiny. Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2023 To allay concerns about improper surveillance, the Montana police are barred from mounting cameras on public buildings. Eyal Press, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023 But the mounting destruction and growing civilian death toll have prompted concerns in the White House and frustration over the lack of time to get hostages. ABC News, 12 Nov. 2023 The statement came in the midst of mounting tensions along Israel's northern border with Lebanon, where Hezbollah is based. Ari Flanzraich, WSJ, 12 Nov. 2023 See More

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 1 Dec. 2023.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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