| 释义 |
▪ I. mount, n.1|maʊnt|
Forms: 1–5 munt, 3 (Ormin) munnt, 4 munte, 2–7 mont, 4 monte, mownte, 4–6 mounte, 5 montt, mownt, 6 monnte, 3– mount.
[OE. munt masc., ad. L. mont-em, mons. The word was in the 12th c. taken up afresh from the F. mont, which the mod. form represents with normal phonetic development. Cf. Sp., Pg., It. monte.
The form munnt in Ormin c 1200 descends from the OE. munt; the later ME. spelling munt may represent the word as adopted from Fr.]
I. A mountain, hill.
1. In early use, a mountain, lofty hill; from the 17th c. in prose use chiefly a more or less conical hill of moderate height rising from a plain; a hillock. Now chiefly poet. exc. in proper names of mountains or hills, as Mount Vesuvius, Mount Everest, the Mount of Olives, St. Michael's Mount, and in the Sermon on the Mount, the usual name for the discourse of Christ in Matt. v–vii.
When prefixed commonly abbreviated Mt.
c893K. ælfred Oros. iv. viii. §2, & siþþan he ᵹefor ofer þa moneᵹan þeoda, oþ he com to Alpis þæm muntum. c1000Ags. Gosp. Matt. v. 1 Þa se hælend ᵹe-seh þa meniᵹu he astah on þone munt. c1175Lamb. Hom. 87 Uppon ane dune þat is þe mont of synai. c1200Ormin 2862 Þatt ure laffdiᵹ Marᵹe wass Þreo moneþþ i þe munntess Wiþþ hire meᵹhe Elysabæþ. c1250Gen. & Ex. 2853 To mount synai forð he nam. 1297R. Glouc. (Rolls) 4161 Þe mount of sein michel. c1380Wyclif Wks. (1880) 457 Ȝif þe pope speke bi þe contrarie, as a mount haþ his name of mouyng [etc.]. a1400–50Alexander 5117 Quat suld we moue in-to þe montts? a1490Botoner Itin. (1778) 127 Mount Mygell ultra Excestre 100 miliaria. 1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 1 b, The sermon that he made in the mount. 1741Corr. betw. C'tess Hartford & C'tess Pomfret (1805) III. 265 A lake; and in the midst of it a green mount, on which stood a small castle. 1807P. Gass Jrnl. 225 We ascended a high mount with a good deal of difficulty, as the path was very slippery. 1820Byron Morg. Mag. xiv, I shall repass the mounts. 1878Browning La Saisiaz 75 Ye mounts Where I climb to 'scape my fellow.
b. transf. and fig.
c1200Vices & Virtues 79 Oðer hwa mai him resten upe ðin haliȝe munte of heueneriche. 1576Fleming Panopl. Epist. 267 It is thought to aduaunce the poore patients to the mount of felicitie. 1602Marston Antonio's Rev. iv. iii, I have a mount of mischiefe clogs my soule, As waightie as the high-nol'd Appenine. 1742Young Nt. Th. viii. 1082 Behold him seated on a mount serene, Above the fogs of sense. 1894M. Pemberton Sea Wolves vii, A low mount of black cloud upon the horizon.
c. Her. A representation of a hillock.
It is usually coloured vert (as turf) and borne in the base of the escutcheon, but it may be charged upon an ordinary or form part of a crest.
1611J. Guillim Her. iii. xiv. 129 He beareth Argent on a Mount Proper, a Stagge Couchant, Gules. 1688R. Holme Armory iii. 479/2 The second [figure] is a Mountain, or Mount Trebble mounted, or a Hill of three ascents. 1828–40Berry Encycl. Herald. I, Mount grieced or in degrees, mounts cut in form of steps. Mount mounted, also called a shapournet shapourned, mounted, or crested, and a mount with a hill upon it. 1871Burke's Peerage, etc. 867/1 A fess, arg., charged with a mount. 1882Cussans Her. (ed. 3) 107 Or; on a Mount vert, a Tree proper.
†d. ? A representation of a mountain belonging to a pageant. Obs.
1580in Cunningham Revels at Crt. (1842) 157 Hoopes to make a Mounte iijs. Ibid. 162 The payntinge of vij Cities, one villadge,..and a mount for Christmas iij Holidaies.
2. Mil.
a. A substantial defensive or protective work of earth or other material, thrown up to resist an attack or to advance an assault. Obs. exc. Hist.
1558J. Highfield in Ld. Hardwicke St. Papers (1778) I. 115 Thereupon there were two mounts repaired for the better defence. 1568Grafton Chron. II. 465 As sone as the king was come he cast a depe trench with a high mount to prohibite them within the towne to haue any egresse. 1600Holland Livy xxvi. xlv. 620 As for fabricks and mounts to be raised and planted against it [i.e. the City], they..would aske some long time. 1611Bible Isa. xxix. 3, I..will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee. 1697Potter Antiq. Greece iii. x. (1715) 97 Their Mounts they let fall to the Ground by Undermining the Foundations. 1770Langhorne Plutarch (1879) II. 726/2 He besieged that city seven months, during which time he erected vast mounts of earth..and invested it. 1860Pusey Min. Proph. 410 The mount, or heaped-up earth, by which the besiegers fought on a level with the besieged.
†b. = cavalier n. 4. Also fig. Obs.
1590Sir J. Smyth Disc. Weapons Ded. *** iij, The Caueleeres (by vs called Mounts). 1630R. Johnson's Kingd. & Commw. 348 It standeth well also for the conquest of Greece, bordering upon it, as it were a strong mount or Cavallier. 1701Boyer Draughts Fortified Towns 2 A Cavalier or Mount, is a great Body of Earth, rais'd on the Terraplain. 1721De Foe Mem. Cavalier (1840) 98 A battery of six pieces of cannon..besides three small mounts,..which had each of them two pieces upon them.
†c. U.S. (See quot.) Obs.
1724in Temple & Sheldon Hist. Northfield, Mass. (1875) 202 Self and team to cart mount timber 1 day; and self one day's work at the mount..0 7 0. [Note, The mounts were square towers, from 14 to 20 feet high..; were made of heavy timbers..with the upper story..fitted up for a sentry.]
†3. An artificial mound of earth, stones, or the like; esp. a raised piece of ground, or walk, in a garden. Obs.
1591Spenser Virg. Gnat 660 A little mount, of greene turffs edifide. Ibid. 686 He..reard a mount of earth. 1615W. Lawson Country Housew. Gard. (1626) 55 In diuers corners of your Orchard Mounts of stone, or wood curiously wrought. 1625Bacon Ess., Gardens (Arb.) 563 At the End of both the Side Grounds, I would haue a Mount of some Pretty Height..to looke abroad into the Fields. 1653H. Cogan tr. Pinto's Trav. xxxv. 140 Behind their houses..were two great Mounts of dead mens bones. 1759Johnson Idler No. 73 ⁋9 Another [of his friends] has been for three years digging canals and raising mounts. 1791W. Bartram Carolina 517 The nearest kindred or friends..lastly, cover all over with earth, which raises a conical hill or mount. 1800Bentham Mem. & Corr. Wks. 1843 X. 347 It will form a mount in my garden. 1813Hobhouse Journey (ed. 2) 716 Barrows—Short Account of those ancient Mounts.
b. transf.
1638Sir T. Herbert Trav. (ed. 2) 302 Their beloved Priapus is imperiously inthroniz'd upon a brazen Mount. 1685Dryden tr. Horace, Odes i. ix. 2 Behold yon mountain's hoary height, Made higher with new mounts of snow.
II. In various transferred senses.
†4. The quantity of 30 cwt. of plaster of Paris.[So OF. mont (15th c. in Godefr.); a specific application of the common transferred sense ‘heap’.] 1532Lett. & Pap. Hen. VIII, V. 446 [Plaster of Paris..a] mount [containing 30 cwt.]. 1706in Phillips (ed. Kersey).
†5. [After It. monte.] A bank. Obs.
1622Bacon Let. to Bp. Andrews Misc. Wks. (1629) 85 To put forth that poore Talent..that God hath giuen me..to Banks or Mounts of Perpetuity, which will not breake. 1765Blackstone Comm. I. 326 A system which seems to have had it's original in the state of Florence, A.D. 1344: which government then owed about 60,000 l. sterling: and, being unable to pay it, formed the principal into an aggregate sum, called metaphorically a mount or bank, the shares whereof were transferrable like our stocks, with interest at 5 per cent.
†b. mount of piety, mount piety, a rendering of It. monte di pietà, Fr. mont-de-piété, in Italy and France a pawnbroking establishment instituted and carried on by the state for the purpose of affording loans to the poor at low interest.
c1618Moryson Itin. iv. viii. (1903) 160 For vsury five in the hundreth is allowed in the mounts of piety, which are bankes of mony to be lent to the poore. 1661(title) Observations Manifesting the Conveniency and Commodity of Mount-Pietyes, or Publick Bancks for Relief of the Poor and others in distress upon Pawns. 1765Ann. Reg. 153 He has left..500,000 crowns in the Mount of Piety.
6. Palmistry. One of the fleshy prominences on the palm of the hand by the development of which palmists profess to ascertain the degree of influence exercised by a particular planet. (Cf. mons a.)
1644Bulwer Chiron. 101 With the Thumbe bended in, and reaching to the mount of Mercurie. 1653R. Sanders Physiogn. 63 At the root of each finger there is a little rising, the which we call the mounts of the Planets. 1695Congreve Love for L. ii. iii, She has..a moist Palm, and an open Liberality on the Mount of Venus.
III. 7. attrib. and Comb., as mount-moving adj.; † mount-egg (see quot.).
1647H. More Char. & Hum. 3 Deep-searching wit, mount-moving might Are nought compar'd to that good spright. 1710J. Harris Lex. Techn. II. s.v., After Tin from the burnt Ore is melted down and remelted, there will sometimes remain a different Slugg in the bottom of the Float, this they call Mount-Egg.
▪ II. mount, n.2|maʊnt|
[f. mount v. Cf. F. monte fem. (which may be the source of some of the senses), Sp., It. monta, a Com. Rom. vbl. n.]
†1. = amount n. Obs.
13..Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 718 So mony meruayl bi mount þer þe mon fyndez, Hit were to tore for to telle of þe tenþe dole. 14..in Hist. Coll. Citizen Lond. (Camden) 15 There wolde be schot..A hundryd gounnys..With[in] the mount of ij halfe hourys. 1651Raleigh's Ghost 218 They again enjoying a long peace and increasing the mount of their former sins,..they were once more cast into the hands of Philistins.
2. a. An act of mounting (rare); † spec. (of a bird) a rising from the ground; a manner of mounting; † (of a gun) elevation.
1486Bk. St. Albans D j b, She toke it at the mounte or at the souce. 1571Digges Pantom. i. xxx. I iv b, Making seueral angles proportionally to the seueral mounts of the peece. 1596Harington Metam. Ajax 31 Doe you not sometime..talke..of putting a heron to the mount? 1602Marston Ant. & Mel. v. Wks. 1856 I. 58 Now, capring wits, Rise to your highest mount. 1660F. Brooke tr. Le Blanc's Trav. 224 The first..at two or three mounts and active leaps spear-high, fetches down the piece of meat. 1872Jenkinson Guide Eng. Lakes (1879) 51 After another slight descent, and then a gradual mount, the top of Thornthwaite Crag is gained. 1891Cycling (Badm. Libr.) viii. (ed. 3) 254 This mount, when once perfectly acquired, is deliberate and graceful.
†b. Mil. to sound a mount: to give a trumpet signal for mounting. Obs.
1659Howell Vocab. v.
c. An act of copulation.
1896Farmer & Henley Slang IV. 362/1 Mount, an act of coition. 1937Partridge Dict. Slang 226/2 Do a grind, a mount, to have sexual intercourse (of men). 1970Nature 12 Dec. 1107/1 In mounts from behind, the mounting cat often had its pelvic region well forward on the back of the mounted cat.
3. a. That in or on which anything is mounted, fitted, supported, or placed; a ‘mounting’, ‘fitting’, or ‘setting’ [cf. F. monture]; spec. (a) the margin surrounding a picture, or the cardboard upon which a drawing is mounted; (b) pl. the metal ornaments serving as borders, edges, or guards to the angles and prominent parts of e.g. the decorative furniture of the 18th c.; (c) the glass slip with its adjuncts used to preserve objects for examination under the microscope.
1739Act 12 Geo. II, c. 26 §6 Mounts, Screws, or Stoppers to Stone or Glass Bottles or Phials. 1854Fairholt Dict. Terms Arts, Mount,..the paper or card-board upon which a drawing is placed. 1859Gullick & Timbs Paint. 315 The mount or margin intervening between the water-colour painting and its frame is almost invariably white. 1883A. H. Church Prec. Stones 101 Diamond..1/3 in. diam.; claw setting on swing mount... Diamond..bordered with 12 brilliants set in silver, on gold mount. 1884Cyclist 13 Feb. 243/1 Salad bowls and servers, with silver mounts. 1888Century Mag. Oct. 889/1 The carriages and mounts of the guns are made entirely of bronze and steel.
b. Of a fan: (a) The pieces of wood, ivory, etc., forming the frame or support (see also fan-mount under fan n.). (b) The silk, paper, or similar material forming the surface of the fan.
1811Self Instructor 121, 2 fans, French mounts. 1869Art Jrnl. Mar. 90/3 Perforated cedar, sandal-wood, nacre, ivory—such is the proper mount of an elegant fan. 1878Ibid. Aug. 173/2 Coryat..mentions some [fans]..consisting of a paper mount pasted on a wooden handle. [Coryat does not use the word.] 1889Harper's Mag. Aug. 404/2 In these [Cabriolet fans] the mount is in two parts, the lower and narrower mount being half-way up the stick, the second mount in the usual place at the top of the stick.
4. a. colloq. A horse (or other animal, occas. a bicycle, etc.) on which one is mounted; a horse, etc., provided for a person's riding.
1856‘Stonehenge’ Brit. Rural Sports 363/1 The jockey.. receiving information from the trainer as to the peculiarities of his mount. 1883E. Pennell-Elmhirst Cream Leicestersh. 235 Others merely give their mounts a kick in the ribs and gallop onwards. 1885Century Mag. Mar. 653/1 A good high-bred dromedary is as comfortable a mount as can be desired. 1885Cyclist 19 Aug. 1088/1 This is easily accounted for by the number of strange [cycle] riders and the changing of mounts from roadsters to racers. 1889Standard 17 Mar., There is every reason to believe that, in mounts as in ordnance, Great Britain will be self-sufficing.
b. collect. A supply of riding- or draft-horses.
1907S. E. White Arizona Nights i. iii. 53 He kept his own mount of horses, took care of them. 1933Amer. Speech VIII. i. 30/1 Mount, a string of horses, usually eight or ten, assigned by the boss to one man.
5. An opportunity or occasion of ‘getting into the saddle’; hence, an undertaking to ride or an act of riding (a horse) in a race.
1856‘Stonehenge’ Brit. Rural Sports 361/1 The jockey..is now expected to ride to orders in most cases, though there are still some who would refuse such a mount. 1882B. D. W. Ramsay Recoll. Mil. Serv. I. i. 15 [He] had been kind to me..giving me a mount occasionally on one of his numerous stud. 1884Illustr. Lond. News 1 Nov. 410/2 The custom is to pay at least twenty-five pounds for a mount in the Derby and St. Leger. Ibid. 410/3 The leader of his profession, whose mounts for this year are not yet finished. 1888Sir C. Russell in Times 26 June 4/4 The regular fees for his [a jockey's] ridings or ‘mounts’.
6. A stuffed and mounted bird-skin.
1935Auk LII. 281 Since the mounts were similarly posed, it seemed that the male Northern Yellow-throat was discriminating between the sexes primarily on a basis of color pattern. 1938Brit. Birds XXXII. 30 The female mount..had a half-spread tail. 1957J. W. Moyer Pract. Taxidermy v. 34 Tie down the feathers with soft, fine thread or string to hold them in place until the mount is dry.
7. attrib. (in sense 3: see quots.).
1881Instr. Census Clerks (1885) 83 Mount, Passe partout—Cutter, Binder, Gilder, Maker (for Photographs, Drawings, &c.). 1896Daily News 14 Sept. 2/7 A mount cutter was charged with having stolen..a quantity of cardboard patterns, mounts, &c.
Add:[3.] [a.] (d) Philately. A piece of paper or card on which a stamp is mounted for display in an album, etc.; also, a stamp hinge.
1882Stamp News May 35/2 For mounting stamps I always use..the best white gum arabic... This sort is much preferable to the yellow, and brown kinds, which are apt to dirty the stamps or the mount. 1885E. B. Evans Philatelic Handbk. 400 (Advt.), Prepared stamp mounts... Far superior to the old plan of gumming the stamps... They are to be used on the hinge system. 1912Gloss. Philatelic Terms (Philatelic Congr. Gt. Brit.) 11 Mount, incorrectly used for the word ‘Hinge’. 1948J. Betjeman Sel. Poems 100 The stamp collection waits with mounts long dry. 1969L. N. & M. Williams Techniques Philately iv. 20 Philatelists devised a method of showing up their finest specimens to better effect..by affixing the stamp to a piece of black paper or card—a mount—slightly larger than the stamp itself, so as to provide a dark background. 1987Stamps Feb. 62/2 If you use plastic mounts, make sure they are mounted straight and keep them trimmed as close as possible—heavy black borders are very off putting, while over-large mounts allow stamps to slip drunkenly around and look most untidy.
(e) Photogr. A fitting made to support a lens, esp. one on a camera with interchangeable lenses. Cf. lens mount s.v. lens n. 4.
1888C. Jones Introd. Sci. & Pract. Photogr. 268 In almost every lens..the mount is more or less in the way. It acts as a diaphragm towards the edges of the plate. 1901E. Marriage Elementary Photogr. ii. 19 Examples of negative lenses and suitable mounts for rectilinear and anastigmatic lenses are illustrated by figs. 2 to 10. 1963R. Kingslake Lenses in Photogr. (rev. ed.) viii. 161 In some cine lenses, especially those of short focal length, the deep mount provides an excellent hood automatically. 1986Photography Nov. 8/1 The OM707 will accept any OM mount lens.
▪ III. † mount, n.3 Obs. rare—1.
[Perh. transf. use of mount n.1; but cf. mound n.1]
A spherical box.
1562New Yr.'s Gifts in Nichols Progr. Eliz. (1823) I. 108 A little rounde mounte of golde to conteyne a pomaunder in it.
▪ IV. mount, v.|maʊnt|
Also 4–5 munt(e, monte, 4–6 mont.
[ME. munte, monte, a. OF. munter, monter (mod.F. monter) = Pr., Sp., Pg. montar, It. montare:—popular L. *montāre, f. mont-, mons mount n.1 With regard to the sense cf. F. amont uphill, up the stream (:— L. ad montem lit. ‘to the hill’).
The principal senses, intransitive and transitive, were adopted from Fr. The sense ‘to ride’, prominent in the Rom. langs., never passed into Eng.; cf. senses 3 and 9.]
I. intr.
1. To go upwards, ascend. Also with up.
a. To fly upwards, to soar. † Of a missile: To rise in its flight.
c1384Chaucer H. Fame ii. 445 He..lat the reynes gon Of his hors and they anoon Gonne vp to mounten and doun descende Til both the eyre and erthe brende. a1425Cursor M. 23894 (Trin.) He ȝyue vs grace so to acounte Þat we may to heuen mounte. c1450Holland Howlat 638 Than rerit thir Merlȝeonis that mountis so hie. 1535Coverdale Job xxxix. 27 Doth the Aegle mounte vp..at thy commaundement? 1590Sir J. Smyth Disc. Weapons 15 By reason that the bullets being so much lower than the heigth of their peeces..doo naturallie mount and flie vncertainlie. 1602Marston Ant. & Mel. v. Wks. 1856 I. 65 O that my spirit in a sigh could mount Into the spheare, where thy sweet soule doth rest! 1742Young Nt. Th. ii. 604 Like birds, whose beauties languish, half conceal'd, Till mounted on the wing, their glossy plumes Expanded shine. 1799G. Smith Laboratory I. 9 If it [a rocket] mounts even and high. 1854Allingham Day & Nt. Songs, Lover & Birds v, The Lark hurried, mounting from the lea.
b. To travel or proceed in an upward direction. Now usually implying a somewhat steep ascent, e.g. that of a flight of steps.
1471Caxton Recuyell (Sommer) II. 422 Hercules..began to mounte and goo vpon the degrees or steyres. c1489― Blanchardyn lii. 198 The prouoste..cam in to the towne and syth mounted to the paleys. a1533Ld. Berners Huon lix. 204 They causyd the mynstrell to mount vp on y⊇ ladder. 1552Huloet, Mount ouer, trascendo. 1604E. G[rimstone] D' Acosta's Hist. Indies iii. xv. 164 They [sc. certain fish] mount from the sea into the rivers. 1678Dryden All for Love v. i, Antony Is mounted up the Pharos; from whose turret, He stands surveying our Egyptian galleys, Engaged with Cæsar's fleet. 1726G. Shelvocke Voy. round World 105 They have abundance of very handsome middle-sized horses, which are said to mount with great dexterity. 1774Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) III. 66 [The chamois] always mount or descend in an oblique direction. 1853Kingsley Hypatia xxii, A body of gladiators..planting their scaling-ladders..mounted to the attack. 1872Jenkinson Guide Eng. Lakes (1879) 293 On arriving at a streamlet, cross it near its source, and then mount by the side of the Pillar.
†c. To move towards culmination. Obs.
1594Blundevil Exerc. iv. xxxii. (1636) 488 In a right Spheare the star called Cor Leonis,..riseth, mounteth, and setteth with the 145 degree 30′ of the Equinoctiall. 1604E. G[rimstone] D' Acosta's Hist. Indies ii. x. 104 Where the sphere is straight, and the signes mount directly, there the dayes and nights are equall.
d. To tower (obs.); also, to extend in an upward direction. rare.
1561J. Daus tr. Bullinger on Apoc. (1573) 22 b, The temple of Dian of Ephesus..mounted up in the middes of the Citie. 1679T. Kirke Mod. Acc. Scot. 6 The Houses mount seven or eight stories high, with many Families on one Floor. 1839Murchison Silur. Syst. i. xxxii. 439 The overlying strata, mounting into the hills above Llanfihangel.
e. Of inanimate things: To rise, move upwards as if spontaneously. ? Obs.
1594Hooker Eccl. Pol. i. iii. §5 When things naturall in that regard forget their ordinary naturall woont, that which is heauie mounting sometime vpwardes of its owne accord. 1657Baxter Call to Unconverted Wks. (1846) 83 As fire doth mount upward..so the converted soul is inclined to God. 1705Addison Italy 370 At the same time are seen little Flakes of Scurfe rising up, that are probably the Parts which compose the Islands, for they often mount of themselves, tho' the Water is not troubled. 1711― Spect. No. 62 ⁋5 His ambitious Love is a Fire that naturally mounts upwards.
f. To grow in an upward direction. ? Obs.
1638Sir T. Herbert Trav. (ed. 2) 322 They grow till fifteen, in that time mounting to foure and twenty foot. 1671Grew Anat. Plants iii. App. §4 The use of these Parts may be observed as the Trunk Mounts, or as it Trails. 1693Evelyn De la Quint. Compl. Gard. II. 155 We replant none of those [Cabbages] that begin to mount, that is, to run up their stalks, as if they were going to Seed.
g. Of the blood: To rise into the cheeks. Also, of the effects of wine: To ‘go’ to the head.
1625Middleton Game at Chess iii. i, Ha! all my body's blood mounts to my face To look upon this letter. 1867Trollope Chron. Barset I. xxiv. 206 The blood mounted all over his face. 1884Tennyson Becket Prol., When the Gascon wine mounts to my head.
h. Of silkworms (see quots.).
1796Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3) XVII. 485/1 When the worms are ready to mount, in order to spin, if [etc.]. 1876B. F. Cobb Silk (Brit. Manuf. Industries) 149 At the end of the last stage the worm ‘mounts’, that is to say, ceases to feed, climbs up from the feeding tray to the ‘bush’,..or whatever may have been prepared for it, and spins its cocoon.
2. fig.
a. To ascend to a higher level in rank, estimation, power, excellence, completeness, etc.
1390Gower Conf. I. 145 Thogh it [Pride] mounte for a throwe, It schal doun falle and overthrowe. 1484Caxton Fables of Auian ii, Who so mounteth hyher than he shold he falleth lower than he wold. 1567Satir. Poems Reform. vii. 226 Thair laude and fame sall mont abone the skyis. a1613Bacon Case Post-nati Scot. Wks. 1826 V. 116 Naturalization is best discerned in the degrees whereby the law doth mount and ascend thereunto. 1622Interpreter 4 Knowing..that Simplicitie hath onely mounted by vertue. 1647N. Bacon Disc. Govt. Eng. i. xiv. (1739) 26 The Prelacy beginning to mount, nibbled at it in the second Century. 1882Athenæum 22 Apr. 501 [Mr. Spencer] shows how..men mount from the lowly estate of chiefless Eskimo..to despotisms, republics, [etc.].
b. To become elevated in spirit.
1481Caxton Godeffroy ccxii 309 Of this auenture mounted the turke in grete pryde. 1802Wordsw. Resolution & Independ. 4 As high as we have mounted in delight In our dejection do we sink as low.
c. To ascend or go back in time.
1796Morse Amer. Geog. II. 467 [They] seem to fix their foundation to a period before the Christian era, but without mounting to the ancient times of the Jews or the Phoenicians. 1803Med. Jrnl. IX. 369 For the antiquity of which [method] we must mount up to Celsus. 1859Jephson Brittany vii. 83 An antiquity which mounts up to the eighth century of our era.
3. To get upon the back of a horse or other animal (occas. upon a person's shoulders) for the purpose of riding. Const. on, upon, † to.
1509Hawes Past. Pleas. xxvii. (Percy Soc.) 131 My fayre barbed stede, On whome I mounted. 1565Stapleton tr. Bede's Hist. Ch. Eng. v. vi. 159, I was able to mounte to my horse. 1582Stanyhurst æneis ii. (Arb.) 66 Wel father in Gods name, mount on my shoulder, I pray you. 1596Spenser F.Q. v. x. 16 He was readie to his steede to mount. 1660F. Brooke tr. Le Blanc's Trav. 225 After this..appears..one..mounted on an Elephant. 1662J. Davies tr. Olearius' Voy. Ambass. 18 We mounted at the same place where we alighted, and return'd to our Lodgings. 1788Gibbon Decl. & F. xlvi. IV. 505 Six thousand guards successively mounted before the palace gate. c1850Arab. Nts. (Rtldg.) 631 Each man then returned to his horse, put on its bridle,..and then mounted.
4. a. To get up on something that serves to raise one above the ground.
1642Milton Apol. Smect. 10 The idlest and the paltriest Mime that ever mounted upon banke. 1726Swift Gulliver ii. viii, I mounted on the Chair. 1753Lond. Mag. Sept. 396 But mount on French heels when you go to a ball, 'Tis the fashion to totter and shew you can fall. 1852Thackeray Esmond v, The window was too high to reach from the ground; but, mounting on a buffet which stood beneath it, Father Holt showed me how [etc.].
†b. simply. To ascend the stage, platform, rostrum, etc.; to make an appearance as a performer, orator, etc. Obs.
1745Daily Advertiser 28 Sept. 3/3 [Advt. of a Prize-fight] The Doors will be open'd at Ten, and the Champions mount at Twelve. 1760Foote Minor ii. Wks. 1799 I. 259 It being impossible he should mount [as an auctioneer], I have consented to sell. 1764― Patron i. ibid. 335, I never got salt to my porridge till I mounted [sc. on the pillory] at the Royal Exchange.
5. To rise in amount; to increase by addition. Chiefly with up. Also, † to be amassed.
1362Langl. P. Pl. A. Prol. 64 But holychirche bi-ginne holde bet to-gedere, Þe moste Mischeef on molde mounteþ vp faste. 1601? Marston Pasquil & Kath. i. 92 So great a masse of coyne might mount from wholsome thrift. 1622Fletcher Beggar's Bush iv. i, Sir, you know not To what a masse, the little we get dayly, Mounts in seven yeares. 1695J. Edwards Perfect. Script. 220 It is by the fault of the transcribers that the arithmetick mounts so high. 1798Coleridge To Lesbia 13 To the store Add hundreds—then a thousand more! And when they to a million mount, Let confusion take the account. 1874Green Short Hist. iii. §5. 141 The debts of the Crown mounted to four times its annual income. Mod. The debt will mount up fearfully at such a rate of interest.
†6. To amount or be equal to a certain sum, number, or quantity. Obs.
13..E.E. Allit. P. C. 332 Þose vnwyse ledes Þat affyen hym in vanyte & in vayne þynges, For þink þat mountes to noȝt, her mercy forsaken. 1521Tunstal in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. iii. I. 273, I have..lent M. Spinel money which monteth in al to thyrtyli sterlinge. 1534Act. 26 Hen. VIII, c. 3 §22 The incumbent..shall not..pay..more..than the value of the thirde parte of his..benefice..shall mounte vnto. 1560Bible (Geneva) Acts. xix. 19 marg., Fiftie thousand pieces of siluer. This mounteth to of our money about 2000 markes. 1734Pope Ess. Man iv. 270 Bring then these blessings to a strict account; Make fair deductions; see to what they mount. 1738Swift Pol. Conversat. Introd. 40 The old Stock-Oaths..do not mount to above forty five, or fifty at most.
7. slang. [? An application of 4 b.] (See quots.)
1789G. Parker Life's Painter (1800) 145 These kind of men attend the courts of law..; their price is five shillings for what they call mounting; they have been known to mount two or three times in one day. 1812J. H. Vaux Flash Dict., Mount, to swear, or give evidence falsely for the sake of a gratuity. To mount for a person is also synonymous with bonnetting for him. 1902Daily Chron. 6 Mar. 8/2 He subpœnaed Roseblade as a witness for him at his trial, but, said Williams, dejectedly, ‘he mounted and come it on me’. Mr. P.: What do you mean? Williams: He gave evidence against me.
II. trans. equivalent to intr. uses with prep.
8. a. To ascend or climb up (a mountain, hill, rock, tree); to ascend (a river, a stair).
c1500Melusine 324 Geffray..mounted the mountayne. 1615G. Sandys Trav. 289 We mounted a paire of high staires. 1769E. Bancroft Guiana 15 He mounted the river of Essequebo. 1796Morse Amer. Geog. II. 17 The birdmen..are amazingly dexterous in mounting the steepest rocks. 1843Lever J. Hinton iii, We mounted an old-fashioned and rickety stair. 1866Rogers Agric. & Prices I. xxiv. 611 While the fish were mounting the river. 1886J. Ashby-Sterry Lazy Minstrel 196 You Should mount the Hill and see the view.
b. Said of a rising road, stair, etc.
1611Shakes. Cymb. i. vi. 106 Lippes as common as the stayres That mount the Capitoll. 1872Jenkinson Guide Eng. Lakes (1879) 13 The road..mounts a steep rising ground.
c. to mount a breach: to ascend it for the purpose of assault or attack.
1704Swift T. Tub Ded., Your Lordships..undaunted Courage in mounting a Breach or scaling a Wall. 1814Scott Wav. xiii, Being the first to mount the breach. 1841Elphinstone Hist. Ind. II. 301 The breach had been built up to such a height as to render it impossible to mount it.
†d. To rise or soar into. Obs.
1675Dryden & Mulgrave Ess. Sat. 117 So men in rapture think they mount the sky, While on the ground th'entranced wretches lie. 1707Curios. in Husb. & Gard. 24 He sees the Sun rise every Morning and mount the Horizon. 1746–7Hervey Medit. (1818) 190 Did He..not only mount the lower firmament, but ascend the heaven of heavens.
†e. fig. To rise to the level of, to rival. Obs.
1628Earle Microcosm, Detractor (Arb.) 43 He is..ambitious to match others, not by mounting their worth, but bringing them downe with his Tongue to his owne poorenesse.
f. To rise on to an obstruction, etc.
1930Morning Post 19 July 12/6 He just managed to avoid a crash by cutting out to his right and in doing so he mounted the footpath.
9. To get upon the back of (a horse or other animal, a bicycle) for the purpose of riding.
1599Shakes. Hen. V, iii. vii. 25 The dull Elements..neuer appeare in him, but only in patient stillnesse while his rider mounts him: hee is indeede a Horse. 1693Humours Town 19 I'll mount your Horse, and ride down. 1789T. Anburey Trav. II. 397, I went to his house just as he had mounted horse. 1819Byron Juan i. ix, A better cavalier ne'er mounted horse. 1843Borrow Bible in Spain vi. 41, I now..having mounted my mule, set forward. c1884‘Mark Twain’ Speeches (1923) 109, I renewed my youth, to outward appearance, by mounting a bicycle. 1907Academy 12 Jan. 36/2 One of the majors was accustomed to mount his horse from a chair. 1912W. Owen Let. 1 Feb. (1967) 113, I had arranged to go to the Cyclists{ddd}the machine is only {pstlg}5.19.6!..It will be a joy-ride when I am mounted on one of these!
transf.1808Scott Marm. ii. Introd., And mark the wild-swans mount the gale.
10. To get upon, for the purpose of copulation.
[1592Shakes. Ven. & Ad. 596 Now is she in the verie lists of loue, Her champion mounted for the hot incounter: All is imaginarie she doth proue, He will not mannage her, although he mount her. 1630B. Jonson New Inn i. iii, Instead of backing the braue Steed, o' mornings, To mount the Chambermaid.] 1697Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 328 Whether the Bull or Courser be thy Care, Let him not leap the Cow, or mount the Mare. 1963A. Heron Towards Quaker View of Sex 54 The young bachelor males of herds where the overlord male jealously protects his harem will mount each other. 1970Nature 12 Dec. 1107/2 A mounting female was frequently immediately mounted by the cat she was mounting, or by another oestrous female. 1970Masters & Johnson Human Sexual Inadequacy 307 The wife once mounted is instructed to hold herself quite still. 1971‘V. X. Scott’ Surrogate Wife 19, I was a man, mounting a beautiful and passionate woman. 1973J. Elsom Erotic Theatre ix. 174 Men no longer want to mount women simply because, like Everest, they are there.
11. To ascend and take a place in or on; to get upon or into, from below.
1698Fryer Acc. E. India & P. 83 We were forced to mount the Indian Hackery. 1711Addison Spect. No. 46 ⁋2 The Boy accordingly mounted the Pulpit. a1758Ramsay The Mill-O ii, My lass, like a fool, had mounted the stool. 1839Thirlwall Greece VI. 191 Since he himself had mounted the throne. 1888Spectator 30 June 883/2 Racing notabilities, and betting men, and blacklegs, all mounting the stand and giving their evidence. 1891‘Mark Twain’ in Illustr. Lond. News 26 Dec. 834/1 Everybody else had..‘mounted the train’, as they say in those regions [e.g. Geneva].
III. trans. in causative uses.
†12.
a. To cause to ascend or rise; to elevate, lift, draw or drive up. Also with up. Obs.
1538Elyot Dict., Exalto, to mounte or lyfte up. c1590Marlowe Faust vi. (Chorus), Learned Faustus, To know the secrets of Astronomy..Did mount himselfe to scale Olympus top, Being seated in a chariot burning bright. 1604E. G[rimstone] D' Acosta's Hist. Indies v. xxiv. 395 They did mount it [sc. the idol] in this manner, for that the staires of the Temple were very steepe.., while they mounted vp the idoll, all the people stoode in the Court. 1610W. Folkingham Art. of Survey i. ix. 20 Some Enginarie aide must bee assistant to mount the water by Screwes, Pullies, Poizes. 1613Shakes. Hen. VIII, i. i. 144 The fire that mounts the liquor til't run ore, In seeming to augment it, wasts it. 1614Raleigh Hist. World i. iii. §7. 45 A bird, hauing therein no feeling of her wings, or any sensible resistance of aire to mount her selfe by. 1640tr. Verdere's Rom. Rom. iii. 68 O from what an abisme am I mounted, said Florimond. 1647N. Bacon Disc. Govt. Eng. i. lvii. (1739) 104 Like a Vapour mounted up by the Clergy. 1705tr. Bosman's Guinea 282 Mounting their Heads and half their Bodies above the surface of the Water. 1766Compl. Farmer s.v. Mulberry, When they were quite divested of the side shoots, the sap is mounted to the top.
b. To erect. Obs. rare.
1610Shakes. Temp. ii. ii. 11 Then like Hedg-hogs, which Lye tumbling in my bare-foote way, and mount Their pricks at my foot-fall. 1821Clare Vill. Minstr. II. 100 Water-lilies mount their snowy buds.
c. To direct to a higher point. Obs.
1582Stanyhurst æneis ii. (Arb.) 65 But father Anchises, mounting his sight to the skyward,..hertly thus his orison vttred. 1675tr. Machiavelli's Prince vi. (Rtldg.) 36 By mounting their arrow to a certain proportion, they may come nearer to the mark.
†13. In various fig. or non-material senses:
a. To raise in honour, estimation, power, or wealth. Rarely with up. Obs.
1581Satir. Poems Reform. xliii. 103 So Fortoun montit neuer man on hicht, Bot sho can law him within a litill quhyle. c1586C'tess Pembroke Ps. lxix. xi, My God, me poore and low, High shall mount from need and woe. 1621Quarles Esther vi. Medit., Who mounts the meeke, and beates the lofty downe. 1647N. Bacon Disc. Govt. Eng. i. xvii. (1739) 34 This hath mounted up Kings to the top more than their own ambition. a1661Fuller Worthies, Surrey (1662) iii. 83 Abbot..was mounted from a Lecturer to a Dignitary. a1711Ken Hymnotheo Poet Wks. 1721 III. 29 Damning themselves, to mount him to his crown. 1728Young Love Fame i. 283 Is there whom his tenth epic mounts to fame?
b. To elevate spiritually; to raise to higher objects of contemplation; to excite to a higher degree of activity or emotion. Obs.
a1546G. Wishart tr. Conf. Faith Sweuerland in Wodrow Soc. Misc. (1844) 13 Except we be elluminat, styred up and mounted, by the grace of Chryst. 1591Sylvester Du Bartas i. vii. 409 That we, down-treading earthly cogitations, May mount our thoughts to heav'nly meditations. 1601Sir W. Cornwallis Disc. Seneca (1631) 80 There is no circumstance but is a steppe, mounting the understanding to the truth. 1601Shakes. All's Well i. i. 235 What power is it, which mounts my loue so hye. 1602Marston Ant. & Mel. iv. Wks. 1856 I. 52 Young Prince, mount up your spirits, and prepare To solemnise your nuptials eve with pompe. 1636Heywood Challenge Beautie v. I 3, What prostrates them Mounts me to expectations. a1644Quarles Sol. Recant. Sol. viii. 30 This mounts thy soule with more heroick fires. 1647Fuller Good Th. in Worse T. v. viii. 214 May not man, by custome and improvement of Piety, mount himselfe neere to an Angelicall nature. 1742Young Nt. Th. iv. 262 Such contemplations..should mount The mind still higher. 1796Burke Regic. Peace i. Wks. VIII. 157 They [William III's ministers] were not yet mounted to the elevation of the king.
c. To exalt, magnify. Obs.
1651Davenant Gondibert iii. v. 27 Love seeks no honor, but does honor bring, Mounts others value, and her own lets fall! 1673Marvel Reh. Transp. II. 244 If you would mount what is said to mean Conscience, the Clause does not..exclude it.
d. To raise the value or price of. Obs.
1708J. Chamberlayne St. Gt. Brit. ii. iii. ii. (1737) 402 James the Ild..mounted the Ounce of Silver to 12s. 1772Foote Nabob ii. (1778) 39 Suppose they have mounted the beef and mutton a trifle; ar'n't we obliged to them too for raising the value of boroughs?
e. To ‘lift up’ (the voice). Obs.
1601? Marston Pasquil & Kath. ii. 13 Boy cleere thy throte, and mount thy sweetest notes. 1602― Antonio's Rev. v. iv, Why then Io to Hymen, mount a loftie note.
f. To represent as amounting to a certain sum or number. Obs.
1639Fuller Holy War v. xxx. (1640) 284 Some have mounted his ordinarie yearly in-come to eight millions of gold. 1655― Hist Camb. 27 The Oxford Antiquary insulteth on the paucity of ancient Hostles in Cambridge..much boasting of the numerousness of the Halls in Oxford, which he mounteth to above two hundred.
14. To set or place upon an elevation. Now only with const. on, upon.
1567Satir. Poems Reform. vii. 43 To se ane monstuire, full of fylthynes, Abone the rest heich mountit vp in gloir. 1577B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. i. (1586) 9. I haue set my house in this place without the bankes, and mounted it as hie as I could. 1590Greene Orl. Fur. (1599) A 3 b, From thence, mounted vpon a Spanish Barke Such as transported Iason to the fleece:..I furrowed Neptunes Seas. 1607Marston What you Will ii. ii, Ped. Sance delaies,..mount him, mount him! [i.e. ‘horse’ him for a flogging.] 1615G. Sandys Trav. 186 Mounted a good height on the side of the mountain is Aceldama. c1662Roxb. Ball. (1887) VI. 359 O the Pinacle of Shrowsbury shews itself still, For it's mounted gallantly on a high Hill. 1678Butler Hud. iii. ii. 972 For Chiarlatans can do no good, Until th' are mounted in a Crowd. 1683Condemn. & Exec. A. Sydney 2 They..Conveyed him to the Scaffold..on which being Mounted, he Bowed. a1700Dryden Iliad i. 239 We bear thee on our Backs and mount thee on the Throne. 1742Pope Dunc. iv. 564 Gone ev'ry blush, and silent all reproach, Contending Princes mount them in their Coach. 1870J. H. Newman Gram. Assent ii. vii. 222 No wonder we see more than the ancients, because we are mounted upon their shoulders. 1897M. Kingsley W. Africa 386 A cluster of outbuildings..each mounted on poles.
15. a. To set on horseback; to help into the saddle; also, to furnish with a saddle horse. In pass., to be seated on horseback.
1603Knolles Hist. Turks (1638) 52 Isaac..royally mounted vpon one of the Emperors horses..was..brought..to the court. c1618Moryson Itin. iv. v. i. (1903) 438 Next rode some 400. gentlemen of Rome brauely mounted. 1647W. Browne Polex. i. 199 He was..mounted on a Black Barbary. 1662J. Davies tr. Olearius' Voy. Ambass. 202 He was..excellently well mounted, on a very gallant horse. 1678Butler Hud. iii. ii. 1547 He's mounted on a hazel bavin. 1697Dryden æneid vii. 381 Of these [horses] he chose the fairest and the best, To mount the Trojan troup. 1701Grew Cosm. Sacra ii. vii. 73 Phancy without Reason; is like a Horse without a Rider; and Reason without Phancy is not well Mounted. 1728Morgan Algiers II. iv. 283 He hastily mounted his own Wife and Daughter. 1774Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) IV. 299 High enough to admit a man mounted upon a middle-sized horse. 1838Prescott Ferd. & Isa. ii. xii. III. 131 He commanded that each trooper should take one of the infantry on his crupper, setting the example himself by mounting a German ensign behind him on his own horse. 1848Thackeray Bk. Snobs xxix, He..rides when somebody mounts him. 1853J. H. Newman Hist. Sk. (1873) II. i. i. 11 These populations have in all ages been shepherds, mounted on horseback. 1877‘Rita’ Vivienne i. ii, Now mount me, please. It is time we were off. 1883S. C. Hall Retrospect II. 305 He had horses more than enough to mount a regiment of cavalry.
b. Of a horse: To carry (its rider).
1737Bracken Farriery Impr. (1757) II. 27 The hollowback Horse generally puts out a good Neck, and mounts the Rider handsomely.
16. Mil.
a. To raise (guns) into position; to place in a position ready for use.
1539in Archæologia XI. 437 A saker of brasse..mountyd uppon shod whelys. 1565Reg. Privy Council Scot. I. 402 Propositioun wes maid of befoir..how all the artailyearie..mycht be perfytlie montit, ordourit, and put in dowbill equippage. 1595Shakes. John ii. i. 381 By East and West let France and England mount Their battering Canon charged to the mouthes. 1653H. Cogan tr. Pinto's Trav. x. 33 The General..caused his forces to land, and mounting twelve great pieces he renewed the battery. c1710C. Fiennes Diary (1888) 215 The plattform for the Gunns wch are well mounted and very well kept. 1838Prescott Ferd. & Is. ii. xii. III. 131 On this rampart he mounted his little train of artillery.
b. Of a fort, a ship: To have (cannon) in position.
1748Anson's Voy. iii. v. 338 One is..an insignificant fortress, mounting only five guns eight pounders; the other..fort mounts the same number of guns. 1831Sir J. Sinclair Corr. II. 277 He met only four ships, three of which escaped, but one, mounting 64 guns, struck on a rock. 1841Elphinstone Hist. Ind. II. 207 He..sent out vessels mounting guns from Cambay.
c. pass. To be provided with cannon.
1662J. Davies tr. Olearius' Voy. Ambass. 57 The Great Duke's Palace..is..very well mounted with Cannon. 1743tr. Mem. M. Du Gué-Trouin (ed. 2) 14 The commadore, bored for 40 guns, and mounted by 28, was boarded and carried. 1748Anson's Voy. iii. x. 415 Four..junks,..mounted only with eight or ten guns. 1867H. Latham Black & White 104 Earthworks mounted with cannon.
d. To raise the muzzle of (a gun); to place at a particular angle of elevation. Cf. 12 c.
1545St. Papers Hen. VIII (1834) III. 543 Item, in Crabbez, to mounte or level thOrdnaunce. 1669Sturmy Mariner's Mag. v. xii. 72 Find what deg. you shall need Mount the Gun to for any other shot. 1688R. Holme Armoury iii. xviii. (Roxb.) 142/1 Mount the Morter, is to turne it in the carriage with the mouth vpwards. Ibid. xix. 153/1 Granadeers on Horseback... Vnsling your musket. Mount your musket. 1692Capt. Smith's Seaman's Gram. ii. xxxi. 146 To so many degrees of Mounture must the Morter be mounted. 1706Phillips (ed. Kersey), To Mount a Piece,..to lay its Mouth higher.
e. To set up or post for the purpose of defence or observation. Hence, to mount († the) guard: to go on duty as a guard.
1706Phillips (ed. Kersey), To Mount the Guard,..is to go on that Duty. 1737Gentl. Mag. VII. 538/2 The Nature of that Watch and Ward was, that each Burgher, for perhaps 5 or 6 Days in a Month, should mount Guard. 1764Mem. G. Psalmanazar 161, I have seen many of them go up to the gallows..as if they were mounting the guard. 1781Gibbon Decl. & F. xvii. (1787) II. 57 They mounted guard in the interior apartments. 1783B. G. Jackson Orders in Harper's Mag. Nov. (1883) 921/1 note, Each Battalion will mount a Piquett. 1826Scott Woodst. iii, The yeomen of the guard, who mounted their watch there. 1872Punch 21 Sept. 116/1 Let an intelligent policeman be told off to mount guard. 1894Outing XXIV. 313/2 At this camp, guard was mounted twice a day.
absol.1844Regul. & Ord. Army 31 The Royal Standard..is never to be carried by any Guard, except that which mounts on the Person of the Sovereign.
f. transf.
1843Dickens Christmas Carol iii, The two young Cratchits set chairs for everybody,..and mounting guard upon their posts [etc.]. 1884Rider Haggard Dawn xliii, Miss Terry mounted guard over the plates and dishes.
g. to mount an attack, offensive, etc. Also fig.
1952N.Y. Times 3 May 2/4 Striking at Communist targets in excellent flying weather (Thursday) warplanes of the Far East Air Forces mounted 1,283 sorties. 1957Times Lit. Suppl. 20 Dec. 771/1 A British private-army leader would have mounted, or at least planned, an incessant series of operations. 1965Listener 2 Sept. 334/1 Governments mount big campaigns to secure an ‘incomes policy’. 1966Ibid. 20 Oct. 579/2, I am mounting a devastating attack on the seriousness of the book. 1972Daily Mirror 12 Oct. 1 An all-out attack is to be mounted against the porn-pushers in Britain's High Streets.
17. To set up or prepare for use.
a. To fix in position for the accomplishment of a particular purpose; to put in working order. to mount a loom (see quot. 1831).
1712J. James tr. Le Blond's Gardening 81 The Semi⁓circle is mounted upon a Knee-Joint. 1763Museum Rust. I. 160 When the scythe is mounted, from the point of the blade to the end of the long handle measures an angle of seven feet. 1831G. R. Porter Silk Manuf. 220 In mounting the loom—that is in fixing the warp preparatory to the commencement of actual weaving. 1839Ure Dict. Arts 817 A set of stamping and washing works..as mounted at Bockwiese. 1857Miller Elem. Chem. (1862) III. 898 The apparatus having been mounted, was caused to rotate. 1873E. Spon Workshop Receipts Ser. i. 387/2 Marble workers mount and fasten their works upon plaster. 1895Outing XXVI. 370/1 He mounted his rod, and tried casting in shallow water.
b. To set or place in or upon a mount or support; spec., to fit a picture on or in a mount. Also, to fit with decorative appendages, as metal plates, ferrules, or the like.
1806Pike Sources Mississ. (1810) 84 A bear skin (the most beautiful I ever saw, which I wanted to mount a saddle). 1841C. V. Walker Electrotype Manip. i. 36 A method of mounting the medals obtained from the fusible moulds, which..enhances their value in the cabinet. 1859Gullick & Timbs Paint. 302 The paste used for ‘mounting’ water⁓colour paintings. 1867F. Francis Angling x. (1880) 352 Most of the Findhorn flies are mounted in this way.
c. Microscopy. To fix (objects) upon a slide or in a cell for examination under a microscope. Also, to fit up (a microscope-slide) in this way.
1839Penny Cycl. XV. 188/2 The objects should be mounted between spherical glasses. 1884G. Allen Philistia I. 198 Looking up from the microscope slides she had begun to mount. 1885Hinde in Phil. Trans. CLXXVI. 426 The spicules..when mounted in Canada balsam are nearly transparent.
d. To put (a play) on the stage; to adapt for exhibition by the provision of suitable accessories. Also, to put on or produce (a radio or television programme).
1870N.Y. Times 11 Oct. 5/5 ‘The Two Roses’ is..prettily mounted, and nicely, if not greatly acted. 1874Slang Dict., Mount, in theatrical parlance, to prepare for production on the stage. ‘The piece was excellently mounted.’ 1884Malmesbury in Pall Mall G. 11 Nov. 5/1 They ‘mount’ the events presented and the persons introduced very happily. 1962Listener 10 May 808/1 It is the first town that approached us and asked us to mount a festival. Ibid. 30 Aug. 328/1 His staff..mounted several brisk little propaganda numbers about social evils in Britain. Ibid. 20 Sept. 437/1 The Arts Council has mounted..an exhibition which has certain flaws. 1963Times 8 Feb. 14/2 The production is mounted in the later Brechtian manner. 1971Daily Tel. 2 Dec. 12 The BBC is scrapping normal programme schedules..during Christmas to enable it to mount special productions.
e. slang. To provide, ‘set up’. ? Obs.
1775D. Graham Lothian Tom v. Writ. (1883) II. 79 The old woman bestowed a vast of presents on Tom, and mounted him like a gentleman.
18. a. To put on, assume, display oneself as wearing (some special article of costume).
1812Sporting Mag. XXXIX. 239 A dashing buck having just mounted a fashionable great coat. 1815W. Irving in Life & Lett. (1864) I. 340, I expect he has mounted a pair of leather breeches, and is playing off the knowing one on the turf. 1842S. Lover Handy Andy xxi, It was time to..mount fresh linen and cambric. 1889Doyle Micah Clarke 138 Our friend was permitted to wear his gay trappings..without being suspected of having mounted the livery of Satan.
b. transf. ? Chiefly U.S.
1842W. Irving in Life & Lett. (1866) III. 211 My desire has been not to mount the Minister..until my arrival in Spain. 1884Harper's Mag. Nov. 889/2 When rumor of bacteria..reached the vulgar ear, [she] had mounted the germ theory. 1894G. Meredith Ld. Ormont iii, The reason why I mount red a little—if I do it—is, you mention Lord Ormont. |