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Glite Dictionary
Wheeler Peak

Wheeler Peak

1 7.5
The highest mountain in New Mexico near Taos in the southern Rocky Mountains
  • proper noun
  • /ˈwiːlər piːk/
: pico Wheeler
  • Wheeler Peak attracts climbers eager to reach the highest point in New Mexico.

Examples

  • Hiking to the summit of Wheeler Peak offers breathtaking views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

  • Many visitors camp near Wheeler Peak to explore its alpine forests and meadows.

  • I hiked to the summit of Wheeler Peak last summer.

  • Have you ever seen Wheeler Peak covered in snow?

  • Wheeler Peak attracts climbers eager to reach the highest point in New Mexico.

  • Hiking to the summit of Wheeler Peak offers breathtaking views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

  • Many visitors camp near Wheeler Peak to explore its alpine forests and meadows.

Surface Forms

Wheeler Peak main

Morphology

Wheeler + peak

The noun 'peak' clearly signals a mountain summit, so a learner who recognises 'Wheeler' as a name will readily infer that Wheeler Peak is a mountain named Wheeler. However, the specific information in the definition (that it is the highest mountain in New Mexico and its exact location) cannot be derived from the constituents alone, and the proper name 'Wheeler' carries no semantic content for meaning beyond identification.

Etymology

Wheeler Peak is named after a 19th-century map maker called Wheeler who explored and mapped the area, and people began to call the mountain by his name. So the name simply means the mountain that was 'Wheeler's peak', which is why it refers to New Mexico's highest point.