Meanings
nounmountain in labour (plural mountains in labour)
plural mountains in labour
- A mighty preparation with very small results.
Origin
An allusion to a line from the Ancient Roman poet Horace: "parturiunt montes, nascetur ridiculus mus".
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
mountain in labour. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mountain%20in%20labour
MLA
“mountain in labour.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mountain%20in%20labour. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mountain in labour,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mountain%20in%20labour.
Source: mountain in labour on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.