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Mount Orizaba

Mount Orizaba

6.5
The highest mountain in Mexico, an inactive volcano between Mexico City and Veracruz
  • proper noun
translation icon : Pico de Orizaba
  • Snow can be seen year-round on the summit of Mount Orizaba.

Examples

  • The view from Mount Orizaba extends for miles across the Mexican countryside.

  • Have you ever climbed Mount Orizaba?

  • Climbers from around the world travel to Mount Orizaba to experience its challenging ascent.

  • Many hikers dream of reaching the summit of Mount Orizaba.

  • Climbers from around the world travel to Mount Orizaba to experience its challenging ascent.

  • Snow can be seen year-round on the summit of Mount Orizaba.

  • Many hikers dream of reaching the summit of Mount Orizaba.

Synonyms

Pico de Orizaba
vsMount Orizaba
1 8.9

A tall extinct volcano in southern Mexico that is the country's highest peak

is the same peak but named in standard English form
Mt Orizaba
vsMount Orizaba
8.2

An extinct volcano in southern Mexico that is the highest peak in Mexico

is the same peak but uses the full English name
Citlaltepetl
vsMount Orizaba
9.9

A tall extinct volcano in southern Mexico called Pico de Orizaba, the highest peak in Mexico

is the same peak but given in the usual English full name

Surface Forms

Morphology

mount + Orizaba

The noun ‘Mount’ (a mountain) combined with the place name ‘Orizaba’ transparently yields the meaning ‘a mountain called Orizaba’; this naming pattern (Mount + proper name) is compositional and familiar across languages. Specific encyclopaedic details (e.g. ‘highest peak in Mexico’, ‘extinct volcano’) are not derivable from the parts, but the basic referential meaning as a mountain is immediately clear to learners who know the constituents.

Etymology

Mount Orizaba takes its name from the mountain long called 'Citlaltépetl' by local people, which means 'star mountain'. Its high, snowy summit reaches into the sky and can be seen for miles, so the 'star' image helps explain why it is known today as Mexico's highest peak.