Alps

[alps]

plural noun

a mountain range in S Europe, extending from France through Switzerland and Italy into Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia. Highest peak, Mont Blanc, 15,781 feet (4810 meters).

alp

[alp]

noun

a high mountain.

Origin of alp

First recorded in 1635–1645; back formation from Alps

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for alps

pike, mount, summit

Examples from the Web for alps

Contemporary Examples of alps

Their vista of the snow-capped Andes suggests the Bavarian alps and the view from Berchtesgaden.
Holocaust Horrors Haunt the Films ‘Ida’ And ‘The German Doctor’
Jack Schwartz
May 12, 2014
Then I realized [we were] outside of Italy when I recognized the Alps.
Inside The Ethiopian Airlines Hijacking Terror
Barbie Latza Nadeau
February 18, 2014
Subirer, for example, is a small bitter pear that grows in the Alps, near Lech.
What to Drink When it’s Cold? The Glory of Austrian Schnaps
Jordan Salcito
January 25, 2014
And so the world was shocked and saddened to hear about his severe brain injury in the Alps last Sunday morning.
Brain Bleed: Why Michael Schumacher’s Helmet Wasn’t Enough
Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD, Tej Azad
January 3, 2014
They must judge wisely and they must judge roundly—they must judge the alps of junk straight out of existence.
The Obligation to be Interesting: James Wolcott’s “Critical Mass”
William Giraldi
October 24, 2013

Historical Examples of alps

When she was at the summit of the Alps of fashion, she saw how little was to be seen.
Tales And Novels, Volume 5 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth
To climb the Alps was the most difficult part of his long journey.
Introductory American History
Henry Eldridge Bourne
His lip curled once at the conceit that he was one of the Alps himself.
The Market-Place
Harold Frederic
From the summit, when the air is clear, there are beautiful views of the Alps.
Italy, the Magic Land
Lilian Whiting
I wish I could see a chance of your crossing the Alps—is it on the cards?
Charles Lever, His Life in His Letters, Vol. II (of II)
Edmund Downey

British Dictionary definitions for alps

Alps

pl n

a mountain range in S central Europe, extending over 1000 km (650 miles) from the Mediterranean coast of France and NW Italy through Switzerland, N Italy, and Austria to Slovenia. Highest peak: Mont Blanc, 4807 m (15 771 ft)
a range of mountains in the NW quadrant of the moon, which is cut in two by a straight fracture, the Alpine Valley

alp

noun

(in the European Alps) an area of pasture above the valley bottom but below the mountain peaks
a high mountain

Word Origin for alp

C14: back formation from Alps, from French Alpes (pl), from Latin Alpēs, from Greek Alpeis

ALP

abbreviation for

Australian Labor Party

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for alps

Alps

see Alp.

alp

1590s, "any high, snow-capped mountain," from Alps, from French Alpes, from Latin Alpes "the Alps," perhaps from altus "high," or albus "white" or from a Celtic word (according to Servius), or a pre-Indo-European root. Alps, the European mountain range, attested by that name in English from 1550s.

alps in Culture

Alps

Mountain system of south-central Europe.

Note

The Alps provide scenic beauty and the location for an abundance of winter sports, making them a popular tourist destination.