alpine meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

alpine

adjalso spelled Alpine

US /ˈæl.paɪn/ · /ˈæl.pɪn/

Etymology From Latin Alpīnus, from Alpēs (“the Alps”). Cognates include French alpin.

Of, relating to, or inhabiting mountains, especially above the timberline.

1 more example

What are alpine plants? The word alpine is used to denote the plants that grow naturally on all high mountain-chains, whether they spring from hot tropical plains or from green northern pastures. Above the cultivated land these flowers begin to occur on the fringes of the stately woods; they are seen in multitudes in the vast pastures which clothe many great mountain-chains, enamelling their soft verdure; and also where neither grass nor loose herbage can exist; or where feeble world-heat is quenched and mountains are crumbled into ghastly slopes of shattered rock by the contending forces of heat and cold, even there, amid the glaciers, they spring from Nature's ruined battle-ground, as if the mother of earth-life had sent up her loveliest children to plead with the spirits of destruction. Alpine plants fringe the vast fields of snow and ice of the high mountains, and at great elevations have often scarcely time to flower and ripen a few seeds before they are again imbedded in the snow; […]1910, William Robinson, “Forewords to new edition”, in Alpine Flowers for Gardens: Rock, Wall, Marsh Plants, and Mountain Shrubs, 4th edition, John Murray, page ix-x:

Sometimes, Specifically Alternative letter-case form of Alpine: Of, relating to, or inhabiting the Alps, a large mountain range in Europe.

Hobbies, Lifestyle, Skiing, Sports Of or relating to slalom and downhill skiing.

Derived terms: 40 terms
afroalpine, alpine accentor, alpine anemone, alpine bellflower, alpine bullhead, alpine butterfly bend, alpine butterfly knot, alpine chough, alpine club-moss, alpine club moss, alpine clubmoss, alpine coil, alpine combined, Alpine County, alpine divorce, alpine fir, alpine fleabane, alpine hawkweed, alpine lady's-mantle, alpinely, alpine marmot, alpine meadow lizard, alpine-meadow lizard, alpine newt, alpine pasqueflower, alpine salamander, alpine saxifrage, alpine skier, alpine skiing, alpine snowboard, alpine snowboarder, alpine snowboarding, alpinesque, alpine start, alpinism, alpinist, Calpine, para-alpine, para alpine skiing, semialpine

noun

Etymology From Latin Alpīnus, from Alpēs (“the Alps”). Cognates include French alpin.

Biology, Botany, Natural sciences Any of several plants, native to mountain habitats, often grown in rock gardens.

There can be little doubt that the autumn-flowering gentians are the elite of late-flowering alpines, but alas they can only be enjoyed by those gardeners with an acid soil, unless they can be grown in containers.1991, Jack Elliott, Alpines in the Open Garden, Christopher Helm, →ISBN, page 64:

adj

/ˈæl.paɪn/

Etymology From French alpin, see also alpine.

Of, relating to, or inhabiting the Alps, a mountain range in Western and Central Europe.

Some vague emotion of delight / In gazing up an Alpine height, / Some yearning toward the lamps of night.1833–1834 (date written), Alfred Tennyson, “The Two Voices”, in Poems. […], volume II, London: Edward Moxon, […], published 1842, →OCLC, page 140:

Derived terms: Alpine Dachsbracke, Alpine goat, Alpine ibex, Alpine republic, Alpine Ridge, cisalpine, Glen Alpine, perialpine, subalpine, Transalpine, transalpine