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Mount St. Helens

Mount St. Helens

3 4.9
A volcano in the state of Washington, USA, with a big eruption in 1980
  • proper noun
  • /maʊnt seɪnt ˈhɛlənz/
translation icon : Monte Santa Helena
  • Many tourists visit Mount St. Helens each year to learn about its geological history and the impact of its eruptions.
  • Mount St. Helens eruption
  • 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens
  • blast at Mount St. Helens

Examples

  • Today's top story, Mount St. Helens.

  • Mount St. Helens is an active volcano in southwest Washington State and the central feature of the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. Mount St. Helens is a popular climb for both beginning and experienced mountaineers.

    Blog text (20)
  • Mount St. Helens is an active volcano in southwest Washington State and the central feature of the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. Mount St. Helens is a popular climb for both beginning and experienced mountaineers.

    Blog text (20)
  • The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens dramatically changed the landscape of the surrounding area.

  • Scientists closely monitor seismic activity at Mount St. Helens to predict future eruptions.

Synonyms

Mount Saint Helens
vsMount St. Helens
4.8

An active volcano in western Washington known for its 1980 eruption

is written with the common abbreviated form used in maps and media
Mt. St. Helens
vsMount St. Helens
4.8

A volcano in Washington State known for its large 1980 eruption

focuses on the same volcano but calls the 1980 event major

Surface Forms

Morphology

mount + St. + Helens

The headword 'Mount' clearly denotes a mountain and 'St. Helens' functions as a place/name, so a learner who knows 'mount' and recognizes 'St.' as part of a place name will infer this is a specific mountain. This compositional pattern (mount + proper name) is cross-linguistically common, so the basic meaning (a mountain/place) is transparent even if specific facts about the volcano are not derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

Mount St. Helens was named by a British explorer to honor a diplomat called 'St Helens'. Today Mount St. Helens is the active volcano that famously had a huge 1980 eruption that blew off part of its top, and that strong image helps you remember the name.