Mountaintop

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈmaʊnt(ɪ)nˌtɑp/

Definitions

1. the highest point or summit of a mountain
2. the peak or uppermost elevation of a large hill or mountain
3. the crest or topmost part of a high mountain

Etymology: "Mountaintop" is a plain compound of "mountain" and "top," with no surprising twist in its making. "Mountain" came into English from Old French "montaigne," which descends from Latin "montanea," a word for mountainous land, itself built on "mons" ("mountain"). "Top" is a much older native English word, traceable to Old English "topp," used for the crown or summit of something. Joining the two produces a word whose parts say exactly what it means: the top of a mountain. The compound works the way many English place-words do, with the head of the phrase placed first and the more specific part second, so the meaning is literal throughout. The word has no figurative shift to report, and its meaning has stayed close to the physical summit from its earliest use.

Synonyms: summit, peak, crest