mount
mount — verb
1. to gradually become larger, stronger, or more intense over a period of time — fo
to gradually become larger, stronger, or more intense over a period of time — for example, tension mounting before a difficult conversation, or costs mounting as a project continues.
Tension in the meeting room began to mount as the deadline passed without a decision.
Asher's frustration mounted when the bus was late for the third time that week.
mount + emotion (frustration mounts)
Medical bills mounted quickly after Walid's father was admitted to hospital.
Pressure on the school principal mounted as more parents complained about the new policy.
The cost of renovating the old theatre mounted far beyond what the committee had planned.
mount + cost / bills / expenses
- pressure mounts
- tension mounts
- costs mount
- frustration mounts
- bills mount
- debt mounts
Grammar Patterns
mount + adverb (mount quickly)
Usage Note
Often used for gradual increases in negative or unwelcome things — tension, pressure, costs, debts, frustration. Less common for purely positive increases (use 'rise' or 'grow' instead).
Common Mistakes
2. to climb onto an animal (especially a horse) or a two-wheeled vehicle (such as a
to climb onto an animal (especially a horse) or a two-wheeled vehicle (such as a bicycle or motorcycle) so that you can ride it.
Mizuki mounted her horse and rode slowly toward the forest path.
mount + horse (transitive)
The instructor showed the children how to mount a bicycle safely.
Vivek had never mounted a motorcycle before, so he asked a friend to help.
The rider swung her leg over the saddle and mounted with practiced ease.
The knight mounted his horse and checked the straps on the shield.
mount + (horse / motorcycle / bicycle) — opposite: dismount
- mount a horse
- mount a bicycle
- mount a motorcycle
- mount a pony
- get on
more general; works for all vehicles including buses and trains
- board
formal; used for planes, ships, and trains
- climb onto
more physical; focuses on the effort of getting up
- dismount
the direct opposite; to get off a horse, bicycle, or motorcycle
Grammar Patterns
mount + [animal/vehicle]
mount + up (intransitive)
Usage Note
The opposite action is 'dismount'. Do not use 'mount' for cars, buses, or trains — use 'get on' or 'board' for those. Common in equestrian and cycling contexts.
Common Mistakes
3. to go up onto a raised surface such as a platform, stage, or steps, or to climb
to go up onto a raised surface such as a platform, stage, or steps, or to climb something like a ladder or a set of stairs.
The old woman slowly mounted the steps of the temple, holding the rail.
Joaquín mounted the platform and adjusted the microphone before speaking.
mount + platform / stage / podium
Benjamin mounted the ladder and began cleaning the leaves from the gutter.
The winner of the race mounted the podium to receive the gold medal.
Anong mounted the stage and accepted the award with tears in her eyes.
- mount the stairs
- mount the platform
- mount the stage
- mount the podium
- mount the ladder
- descend
formal opposite; to go down from a raised surface
Grammar Patterns
mount + [stairs/steps/platform/ladder/stage]
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 2 (GET ON): this sense is for climbing onto surfaces (stairs, platforms, stages), NOT for riding animals or vehicles. The object is a surface, not a mode of transport.
Common Mistakes
4. to plan, prepare, and begin an official activity such as a campaign, protest, ex
to plan, prepare, and begin an official activity such as a campaign, protest, exhibition, or search operation.
The university mounted a campaign to raise money for a new student centre.
Zola's team mounted a successful search operation to find the lost hikers.
Local residents mounted a protest against the plan to cut down the park's trees.
mount + protest / campaign / exhibition / operation
The museum mounted an exhibition of paintings by young African artists.
Élise's company mounted a large trade show to introduce their new products to customers.
- mount a campaign
- mount a protest
- mount an exhibition
- mount a search
- mount an operation
- mount an attack
Grammar Patterns
mount + [campaign / protest / exhibition / search / attack]
Usage Note
Typically used for organized group activities — campaigns, protests, exhibitions, searches, or military operations. Not used for everyday personal planning (do not say 'mount a birthday party').
Common Mistakes
5. to place an object securely onto a surface or inside a holder — for instance, fa
to place an object securely onto a surface or inside a holder — for instance, fastening a picture to a wall, setting a gem into a ring, or fitting equipment onto a stand — so that it stays in position for display or regular use.
Henry mounted the painting on the wall above the living room fireplace.
The jeweler mounted the diamond in a simple silver ring.
mount + jewel/gem + in + setting
Esme mounted her university degree in a black frame and hung it in her office.
The museum mounted the ancient statue on a stone base in the main hall.
The team mounted the solar panels on the roof of the school building.
- mount on a wall
- mount in a frame
- mount on a stand
- mount a painting
- mount a photo
- mount a solar panel
Grammar Patterns
mount + [object] + on/in + [position]
Usage Note
Frequently used in the passive when describing where an object is placed: 'The painting was mounted on the wall.' Common in DIY, jewelry-making, and museum contexts. 'Install' is broader and can include electrical or plumbing work.
Common Mistakes
6. in a laboratory, to put a tiny amount of material — for instance, tissue, blood,
in a laboratory, to put a tiny amount of material — for instance, tissue, blood, or cell samples — onto a glass slide for examination with a microscope.
The lab technician mounted the tissue sample on a glass slide and labeled it.
mount + [specimen] + on + slide (laboratory context)
To check for bacteria, the scientist mounted a drop of pond water on a slide.
Élise carefully mounted the onion skin sample onto the slide before class started.
The biologist mounted a thin slice of plant stem for the students to observe.
- mount a specimen
- mount a sample
- mount on a slide
- mount for examination
- prepare a slide
the full phrase; describes the whole process, not just the placement
Grammar Patterns
mount + [specimen/sample] + on + [slide]
Usage Note
A specialized laboratory term. The person doing the mounting typically uses tweezers or a pipette to place the material on the slide. The noun form 'mount' (noun sense 3) refers to the slide itself.
7. to make a storage device, such as a hard drive, memory card, or optical disc, ac
to make a storage device, such as a hard drive, memory card, or optical disc, accessible to a computer's operating system so that data can be read from it or written to it.
Apinya mounted her USB drive before copying the photos.
mount + storage device (USB drive)
The system mounted the external hard drive as soon as Rin plugged it in.
passive: be mounted as soon as [action]
You need to mount the memory card before the camera can save images to it.
Ezra mounted the backup disk and started the file restoration process.
The computer cannot read the device until you mount it correctly.
cannot ... until [mount + device]
- mount a drive
- mount a disk
- mount a volume
- mount a partition
- mount a filesystem
Grammar Patterns
mount + noun
Usage Note
The opposite operation is called 'unmount' (or 'dismount'). Common in operating system contexts — a device must be mounted before the system can access its file system.
8. to station a person at a particular location to watch over it, protect it, or co
to station a person at a particular location to watch over it, protect it, or control who enters it.
The commander mounted two soldiers at the main gate of the base.
mount + person + at + location
Rania was mounted at the embassy entrance to check all visitor passes.
passive: be mounted at [location]
Security personnel were mounted around the building before the conference began.
The captain mounted a night watchman at the warehouse door.
mount + role (a night watchman)
They mounted extra guards along the parade route as a safety measure.
- mount a guard
- mount a sentry
- mount a watchman
- mount at the entrance
- mount around the perimeter
Grammar Patterns
mount + someone + at/on + [location]
Usage Note
Frequently used in military, security, and formal organizational contexts. The focus is on assigning someone to a guard position, not on the act of guarding itself — distinguish from sense 9 (PROTECT).
9. to stay close to and watch over a person, place, or valuable item so that they a
to stay close to and watch over a person, place, or valuable item so that they are safe from harm, theft, or attack.
Hui mounted the visiting diplomat throughout her stay in the city.
mount + person (high-profile individual)
A team of private guards mounted the painting during its transport to the museum.
mount + object (valuable item)
The witness was mounted by two officers day and night until the trial ended.
passive: be mounted by [guards]
Amihan mounted the elderly man on his walk to the courthouse.
The security team mounted the cargo container until it was loaded onto the ship.
- mount a person
- mount a witness
- mount a painting
- mount a shipment
- mount a building
- guard
more common and less formal; 'mount' is more formal and specific
- watch over
less formal, describes the action without the official-security implication
- protect
broader meaning; 'mount' implies close, continuous watching
Grammar Patterns
mount + someone/something
Usage Note
Unlike 'post guard' (sense 8), this sense describes the actual act of watching or protecting, not the act of assigning someone to a guard position. The subject is the person or team doing the guarding.
mount up
phrasal verbTo increase gradually in amount or number.
The bills began to mount up after the holidays.
Why do my expenses always mount up so quickly?
To watch over someone or something to keep them safe or prevent problems.
Two police officers mounted guard over the museum entrance.
Did you keep guard while your sister hid the presents?
mount — noun
1. a horse that a person rides — used especially in formal, literary, or equestrian
a horse that a person rides — used especially in formal, literary, or equestrian contexts
Talia patted her mount gently on the neck before climbing into the saddle.
noun used for a horse in equestrian context
The knight's mount was a strong brown horse with a white mark on its forehead.
For beginners, the riding school provides a gentle mount that responds well to simple commands.
formal use: 'a gentle mount' for a calm horse
Yumi led her mount into the stable and removed the saddle after the long ride.
Each soldier checked his mount's shoes and bridle before the morning patrol began.
- ride a mount
- pat one's mount
- lead a mount
- mount and rider
Usage Note
Less common than the general word 'horse'. Preferred in formal, literary, military, or equestrian writing — everyday conversation usually uses 'horse' instead.
Common Mistakes
2. a piece of thick paper, card, or board used to hold and display a picture, photo
a piece of thick paper, card, or board used to hold and display a picture, photograph, or similar item
Niran put his wedding photo on a cream mount and slid it into a wooden frame.
noun for the supporting board behind a picture
The artist chose a dark mount to make the bright colours of her painting stand out.
Soraya cut some white cardboard to use as a mount for her school art project.
A good mount is slightly larger than the picture, leaving a clean border around it.
collocation: 'a good mount' for a well-chosen picture support
The shop sells mounts in many sizes for framing posters and photographs.
- picture mount
- white mount
- choose a mount
- mount and frame
- cut a mount
- backing board
emphasises the support function rather than the display aspect
- mat
the North American term for the same item, especially in picture framing
Usage Note
Common in art, photography, and picture-framing contexts. The mount is usually made of thick card and sits between the picture and the frame.
Common Mistakes
3. a small flat piece of glass used in a laboratory to hold a sample that is then e
a small flat piece of glass used in a laboratory to hold a sample that is then examined under a microscope
Élise placed onion skin on a glass mount, then added a drop of dye.
noun for a microscope glass slide used in labs
The lab assistant prepared a clean mount for each blood sample before the test began.
Sari held the glass mount by its edges to avoid leaving fingerprints on it.
collocation: 'glass mount' for the microscope slide
Constanza dropped pond water onto a fresh mount to look for tiny organisms.
The biology student labelled each mount before putting it in the storage box.
- glass mount
- microscope mount
- prepare a mount
- clean mount
- label a mount
- slide
the common short term used in laboratories worldwide
- glass slide
the full, more precise name — less formal than 'mount' in this sense
Usage Note
In everyday lab language, this is more commonly called a 'glass slide' or simply a 'slide'. The word 'mount' in this sense is slightly more formal or technical.
Common Mistakes
4. the word used in the official name of a high natural landform, appearing before
the word used in the official name of a high natural landform, appearing before the distinctive name of the peak or hill
Mount Fuji is the highest peak in Japan and a famous destination for tourists.
used in official mountain names: 'Mount [Name]'
Henrik took a train to the base of Mount Rainier before starting his climb.
The climbers reached the summit of Mount Everest after two months of effort.
Nora's family lives in a small village at the foot of Mount Kinabalu in Borneo.
Christopher could see Mount Kilimanjaro from his hotel window on the morning of the safari.
collocation: 'see Mount [Name]' for sightseeing contexts
- Mount Everest
- Mount Fuji
- climb Mount [Name]
- at the foot of Mount [Name]
- base of Mount [Name]
Usage Note
Always capitalised as part of a proper noun. The word 'Mount' comes before the specific mountain name. Unlike most place names, no article 'the' is used — say 'Mount Everest', not 'the Mount Everest'.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- mountedadjectiveB2
- mountingadjectiveC1
- mountingnounC2
- unmountedadjectiveC2
- mountainnounA2
- mountainousadjectiveB2
- mountaineernounC1
- mountaineeringnounC1
- dismountverbC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/2
在表示「騎乘」或「登上」時，這幾個字有清楚的區別。Mount 最正式，通常用於騎馬、騎腳踏車或摩托車，帶有身體跨上的動作感（例如：She mounted her horse and rode off）。Get on 是最通用的日常說法，適用於任何交通工具，包括汽車、公車、火車（例如：He got on the bus in a hurry）。Board 是較正式的用語，專用於飛機、船隻、火車等大眾運輸工具（例如：Passengers boarded the plane at noon）。Climb onto 強調「爬上去」的費力動作，可用於較高的位置或動物（例如：The child climbed onto the pony with help）。Dismount 是 mount 的相反詞，表示從馬或腳踏車上下來。注意：mount 不可用於汽車或公車，board 不可用於馬或腳踏車。
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'mount' brings together two historical threads, both ultimately from the same Latin root. The noun sense (as in a mountain name) comes directly from Latin 'mont-' (stem of 'mons' meaning mountain), passing through Old English and into names like Mount Everest. The verb senses — climbing, increasing, installing, organizing — all trace back to Old French 'monter' ('to go up, climb, ascend'), which itself comes from Latin 'mont-' via the idea of 'going up a mountain'. Over centuries, the verb broadened from literal climbing to figurative uses like costs mounting or a campaign being mounted.