Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • A mountain system of south-central Europe, about 800 km (500 mi) long and 160 km (100 mi) wide, curving in an arc from the Riviera on the Mediterranean Sea through northern Italy and southeast France, Switzerland, southern Germany, and Austria and into the northwest part of the Balkan Peninsula. The highest peak is Mont Blanc, 4,808 m (15,774 ft), on the French-Italian border.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • proper noun A mountain range in Western Europe, running from France to Austria, with its highest peak Mont Blanc at 4808 meters.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a large mountain system in south-central Europe; scenic beauty and winter sports make them a popular tourist attraction

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Ultimately from Latin Alpes.

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