Mounted

Part of speech: adjective, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈmaʊntɪd/

Definitions

1. Fixed firmly onto a base or support ; positioned on an animal or vehicle for riding or control ; arranged and prepared for a specific activity or operation
2. Secured in place on a surface or frame ; being carried by or sitting astride a horse, bike, or similar ; set up and started for action, such as an attack or campaign
3. Placed or fastened onto some backing or structure ; riding or controlling an animal or conveyance ; initiated or launched with forward movement towards a goal

Etymology: "Mounted" is the past participle and adjective form of "mount," a verb that traces back through Old French to Latin "mons," meaning "mountain." The idea of climbing up a height passed into English as "to go up," and from there it grew into the senses of getting onto a horse or setting something onto a raised base. The Latin root survives in "montane" and "mountain" alike, so the word is tied to the image of ascending a slope. The verb reached English through Old French "monter," which came from Vulgar Latin "montare," a verb built on "mons." Middle English "mounten" carried the sense of rising or going upward, and the transitive uses, putting someone or something onto a raised position, developed alongside it. The English suffix "-ed" was then added to form the participle, which is why the word can describe a thing fixed onto a frame, a rider sitting astride an animal, or a force set up and ready for action.

Synonyms: attached, fixed, set

Antonyms: dismounted, removed