Rocky Mountains

American  

[rok-ee moun-tnz] / ˈrɒk i ˈmaʊn tnz /

plural noun

1. the chief mountain system in North America, extending from central New Mexico to northern Alaska. Highest peak, Denali, 20,300 feet (6,187 meters).

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Rocky Mountains British  

plural noun

1. the chief mountain system of W North America, extending from British Columbia to New Mexico: forms the Continental Divide. Highest peak: Mount Elbert, 4399 m (14 431 ft). Mount McKinley (6194 m (20 320 ft)), in the Alaska Range, is not strictly part of the Rocky Mountains

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Rocky Mountains Cultural  

1. Major mountain chain of western North America, running from Alaska to Mexico.

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Etymology

Origin of Rocky Mountains

First recorded in 1800–05; translation of Canadian French les Montagnes des Roches, from Cree asini˙waciya, plural of asini˙waciy, equivalent to asini˙-, combining form of asiniy “stone, rock” + waciy “mountain,” originally referring to the Canadian Rockies

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Rocky Mountains

The source of the Colorado River in the Rocky Mountains is drying up, threatening a critical water lifeline for about 35 million people and 5 million acres of farmland across the Southwest.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

They found no gold but became the first Europeans to explore the Grand Canyon, the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026

This year, the snowpack in the Rocky Mountains is just 22% of average, the smallest on record.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2026

From the Rocky Mountains west to California and into Western Canada, record numbers of resorts closed early this season.

From Slate ● Apr. 11, 2026

By the early 1900s, meatpacking had centralized: nearly 90 percent of all beef inspected east of the Rocky Mountains was processed by six big companies.

From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield

Related Words

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