# mound

/ˈmaʊnd/ (US) · /mˈaʊnd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/mound
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. a small hill

noun · CEFR B2

a small hill or a raised area of earth, often made by people in the past.

For teachers: a raised mass of earth or stones, often constructed artificially as a burial site or fortification.

- The children ran up the grassy mound to get a better view of the park.
- Archaeologists discovered several ancient burial mounds scattered across the valley, providing evidence of a sophisticated prehistoric settlement.

### 2. a pile of things

noun · CEFR B2

a large pile or heap of something.

For teachers: a large quantity of something heaped up in a pile.

- There was a huge mound of dirty laundry sitting in the corner of the room.
- A mound of discarded paperwork had accumulated on his desk during his two-week absence from the office.

### 3. baseball

noun · CEFR B2 · American English

the small, raised area of dirt where the pitcher stands to throw the ball.

For teachers: the slightly elevated area in the centre of a baseball diamond from which the pitcher delivers the ball.

- The pitcher walked slowly toward the mound and prepared for the next play.
- The veteran left-hander dominated the game from the mound, striking out twelve batters before being relieved in the ninth inning.

### 5. to pile up

verb · CEFR B2

to put things into a pile or a hill shape.

For teachers: to heap or pile material into a raised mass; often used with 'up'.

- She began to mound the mashed potatoes in the center of the plate.
- The gardener mounded the soil around the base of the rose bushes to protect them from the winter frost.

## Examples

- The gardener left a mound of dirt in the yard.
- Archaeologists discovered ancient pottery buried deep within the burial mound.
- The pitcher stood atop the mound, staring intently at the batter while the crowd fell into a hushed silence.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.