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

Wildfires pose the greatest reliability risk in the Rocky Mountains, where they can disproportionately affect rural cooperatives, according to NERC.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

This year, the snowpack in the upper portion of the river’s watershed in the Rocky Mountains measures just 22% of average, the smallest on record.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 2, 2026

One of the most remarkable efforts at evidence synthesis I’ve come across was a Level 7 decision about a vulnerable population of woodland caribou in Canada’s Rocky Mountains.

From Slate ● 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

Alone in the waiting area, Roy dug through a stack of magazines until he found an issue of Outdoor Life that had an article about fishing for cutthroat trout in the Rocky Mountains.

From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen

Related Words

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