noun
mound
mownd
noun
1
A raised pile or hill of earth, often built up rather than natural.
"Archaeologists uncovered an ancient burial mound."
"Kids built a mound of sand near the water's edge."
2
In baseball, the raised area where the pitcher stands.
"The pitcher walked slowly back to the mound after the argument."
verb
1
To pile something into a raised heap.
"She mounded the mashed potatoes onto each plate."
How to Use Mound
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA raised pile of earth or other material, or the raised spot a baseball pitcher stands on.
Common mistake
Despite looking alike, "mound" is not historically related to "mount" — they come from entirely different roots.
Common pairings
burial mound
pitcher's mound
mound of dirt
Word Forms
mounded past tense, mounds plural, mounds singular
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Archaeologists uncovered an ancient burial _____.
Etymology
From Old English mund ("protection, boundary"), from Proto-Germanic *mundō ("hand"); not related to "mount" despite the similar spelling.