Definition

Proper noun: - Mount Tacoma: The former and alternative name for Mount Rainier, a large active stratovolcano and the highest mountain in the U.S. state of Washington and the Cascade Range. It is located in Pierce County, Washington.

Usage

• Mount Tacoma is used as a proper name to refer to the specific geographic feature. It is often used in historical contexts or by local advocates who prefer this original name.
  • Early explorers and settlers referred to the peak as Mount Tacoma.
  • Some groups continue to campaign for the official restoration of the name Mount Tacoma.

Advanced Usage

• "The mountain known as Mount Tacoma": A phrase used to acknowledge the historical and alternative name while distinguishing it from the current official name.
  • The mountain known as Mount Tacoma was renamed Mount Rainier by George Vancouver in 1792.

Variants and Related Words

• Mount Rainier (proper noun): The current official name for the volcano, named after Admiral Peter Rainier.
• Tahoma (proper noun): An alternative spelling and a name derived from the Lushootseed/Puget Sound Salish word , meaning "the mountain that is God" or "the great mountain." It is also used in some modern contexts.
  • The Puyallup Tribe refers to the mountain as Tahoma.

Synonyms

• Mount Rainier: The direct and official synonym.
• Tahoma: A culturally significant synonym from the Lushootseed language.

Notes on Meaning

• The name Mount Tacoma carries significant historical and cultural weight. It represents the name used by many early residents and is preferred by some who view it as the original, indigenous-influenced name for the mountain, as opposed to the name given by a European explorer.
• Its use today is often a deliberate choice reflecting local heritage or advocacy for renaming.

Noun

1. a mountain peak in central Washington; highest peak in the Cascade Range; (14,410 feet high)