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Glite Dictionary
Mile-High City

Mile-High City

4.4
A common name for Denver, the capital of Colorado, because it is about one mile above sea level
  • proper noun
translation icon : Ciudad a una Milla de Altura
  • Denver, also known as the Mile-High City, is famous for its craft breweries.

Examples

  • Did you know that the Mile-High City is over 5,280 feet above sea level?

  • The Mile-High City boasts numerous parks and stunning views of the Rocky Mountains.

  • Many people move to the Mile-High City for its vibrant culture and outdoor lifestyle.

  • She has always dreamed of living in the Mile-High City because of its mild climate and booming tech industry.

  • Many people move to the Mile-High City for its vibrant culture and outdoor lifestyle.

  • The Mile-High City boasts numerous parks and stunning views of the Rocky Mountains.

  • Did you know that the Mile-High City is over 5,280 feet above sea level?

Synonyms

Denver
vsMile-High City
675 1.3

The capital and largest city of Colorado near the Rocky Mountains

is an informal nickname highlighting the city's elevation of about one mile

Surface Forms

Mile-High City main

Morphology

Mile-High + city

The meaning is compositionally derived from 'mile-high' (about one mile in elevation) modifying 'city', so a learner who knows 'mile', 'high', and 'city' can infer it denotes a city about a mile above sea level. This is a transparent, literal descriptive nickname (though identifying the specific referent (Denver) is a separate cultural fact), and the construction follows common cross-linguistic patterns of measurement + place.

Etymology

Mile-High City comes from Denver's height: the city sits about 'one mile above sea level', so it is literally a mile high. That's why people call Denver the Mile-High City.