mound

Meanings

Noun

• An artificial hill or elevation of earth; a raised bank; an embankment thrown up for defense
• A natural elevation appearing as if thrown up artificially; a regular and isolated hill, hillock, or knoll.
• Elevated area of dirt upon which the pitcher stands to pitch.
• A ball or globe forming part of the regalia of an emperor or other sovereign. It is encircled with bands, enriched with precious stones, and surmounted with a cross.
• The mons veneris.
• A hand.
• A protection; restraint; curb.
• A helmet.
• Might; size.

Verb

• To fortify with a mound; add a barrier, rampart, etc. to.
• To force or pile into a mound or mounds.

Related

Similar words

• globus cruciger, globe, orb
• bank, bank up, bulwark, rampart

Origin

• From earlier meaning "hedge, fence", from Middle English mound, mund, from Old English mund ("hand, hand of protection, protector, guardianship"), from Proto-Germanic *mundō ("hand"), *munduz, from Proto-Indo-European ("the beckoning one"), from *(s)meh₂-. Cognate with Old Frisian mund ("guardianship"), Old High German munt ("hand, protection") (German Mündel ("ward"), Vormund), Old Norse mund ("hand") (Icelandic mund), Middle Dutch mond ("protection"), Latin manus ("hand"), Ancient Greek μάρη ("hand").