Monte Bianco
1
6.7
- proper noun
- The view of Monte Bianco from Chamonix is breathtaking, especially at sunrise.
Examples
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Scientists have measured how glaciers on Monte Bianco are changing due to global warming.
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Many climbers attempt to reach the summit of Monte Bianco every year.
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I climbed Monte Bianco last summer.
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Have you ever seen Monte Bianco in winter?
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Many climbers attempt to reach the summit of Monte Bianco every year.
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The view of Monte Bianco from Chamonix is breathtaking, especially at sunrise.
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Have you ever seen Monte Bianco in winter?
Synonyms
3
5.6
The highest mountain in the Alps on the border between France and Italy
Surface Forms
Morphology
Monte + Bianco
The Italian constituents literally mean 'mountain' (Monte) + 'white' (Bianco), so a learner who knows those words can transparently infer it denotes a mountain called 'White Mountain'. However, the specific encyclopedic meaning — that it is the highest peak in the Alps on the France–Italy border with that exact elevation and location — is not derivable from the parts alone and requires world knowledge, so the transparency is partial.
Etymology
Monte Bianco comes from Italian words Monte (meaning 'mountain') and Bianco (meaning 'white'), because the peak is almost always covered in bright snow. That's why the name means the 'white mountain' and is used for this very high, snow-covered peak in the Alps.