WordGarden.ioalp
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /ˈælp/
US
- /ˈælp/
Meanings
Noun
a high mountain, especially one in the Alps or Switzerland
an alpine pasture or meadow used for grazing below the peaks
Beyond the definition
When you hear the word "alp," picture a towering, snow-capped peak piercing the blue sky. In English, an alp can mean a high, rugged mountain—especially one in (or like those in) the famous European range, the Alps. Most people encounter the word as the Alps (the name of the range), while a single alp is rarer and tends to sound literary.
But the word also has a much greener meaning: it can refer to a high mountain pasture—an alpine meadow where herdsmen take cattle to graze in summer. So, whether it points to the rocky heights or the lush grasslands below, alp evokes life and landscape at high elevation.
The word "alp" carries a dual identity that captures the full vertical scope of a mountain landscape. In modern English literature and geography, it is used to describe a singular, high mountain, particularly one that is craggy and snow-covered. Writers use it to evoke a sense of vertical grandeur, icy isolation, and the challenging terrain found in ranges like the Swiss or French Alps.
However, if you dig into the history of the word, the story changes. Etymologically, "alp" did not originally refer to the summit, but to the seasonal pastureland situated on the mountain's side—specifically the grazing zones located above the tree line but below the permanent snows. For centuries, farmers have practiced "transhumance," moving livestock up to the "alp" for summer grazing. Over time, the name of the pasture ascended the slope to encompass the peaks themselves.
Therefore, "alp" is a word of contrasts: it is both the soft, green meadow alive with the sound of cowbells and the silent, jagged rock face towering above the clouds.
Examples
- 1
Mountain hiking
By noon, the hikers had reached a rocky alp above the tree line.
- Usagealp
a rare, somewhat literary word for a high mountain
- 2
Village setting
A small village lay in the shadow of the snow-covered alps.
- 3
Travel view
From the train, we watched clouds drift across the distant alps beyond the valley.
See also
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- alpnoun