alpine

comparative more alpine · superlative most alpine

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

   alpine snows

   2 more examples

   alpine plants

   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

   Synonyms: montane

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

      Synonyms: montane

2. hobbiesOf or relating to slalom and downhill skiing.

plural alpines

1. biologyAny 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

comparative more Alpine · superlative most Alpine

1. 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

   1 more example

   The normally sleepy Alpine republic has just experienced the worst three weeks in its post-war history after the election of a coalition of the Freedom party and the conservative People¹s^([sic – meaning People's]) party under the leadership of Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel.

   2000 February 29, Kate Connolly, “No way out”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 25 Mar 2023

   Synonyms: Alpian

1. A number of places in the United States:
   1. An unincorporated community in DeKalb County, Alabama.
   2. An unincorporated community in Talladega County, Alabama.
   3. An unincorporated community and former census-designated place in North Slope Borough, Alaska. It has no permanent residents but around 250 commuter residents, who work on a two-week-on, two-week-off schedule.
   4. An unincorporated community and census-designated place in Apache County, Arizona.
   5. A census-designated place in San Diego County, California.
   6. An unincorporated community in Los Angeles County, California.
   7. An unincorporated community in Mendocino County, California.
   8. An unincorporated community in Chattooga County, Georgia.
   9. An unincorporated community in Columbia Township, Fayette County, Indiana.
   10. An unincorporated community in Union County, Mississippi.
   11. A borough in New Jersey.
   12. A rural unincorporated community and census-designated place in Benton County, Oregon.
   13. An unincorporated community in Overton County, Tennessee, United States.
   14. A city, the county seat of Brewster County, Texas, United States.
   15. A city in Utah County, Utah, United States.
   16. An unincorporated community in Botetourt County, Virginia, United States.
   17. A ghost town in Skagit County, Washington, United States.
   18. A town in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States.
2. A locality in the Wingecarribee council area, south eastern New South Wales, Australia.
3. A local government area in north-east Victoria, Australia; in full, Alpine Shire.