Definition

Proper noun: * Mount Rushmore: A specific mountain located in the Black Hills of South Dakota, United States. It is renowned for the colossal sculptures of the faces of four U.S. presidents—George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln—carved into its granite face.

Usage

• Mount Rushmore is a major national memorial and tourist destination.
  • Our family vacation included a visit to Mount Rushmore.
  • The sculpture at Mount Rushmore is a feat of engineering and art.
• It is often used as a symbol of American history and national achievement.
  • The presidents on Mount Rushmore represent the nation's founding, political philosophy, preservation, and expansion.

Advanced Usage

• "Mount Rushmore of [a field]": A metaphorical phrase used to describe the most iconic, influential, or foundational figures in a particular domain.
  • She is considered part of the Mount Rushmore of modern jazz musicians.
  • Those four scientists are on the Mount Rushmore of physics.

Variants and Related Words

• Mount Rushmore National Memorial: The official name of the site managed by the National Park Service.
• The Shrine of Democracy: A common epithet for Mount Rushmore.
• Carving (n): The act or result of cutting a hard material to form a shape, such as the presidential faces.
• Sculptor (n): The artist who creates sculptures. Gutzon Borglum was the lead sculptor of Mount Rushmore.

Synonyms

• National memorial
• Monument
• Landmark

Related Phrases

• To be carved in stone: An idiom meaning something is permanent and unchangeable, literally exemplified by Mount Rushmore.
  • The plan isn't carved in stone; we can still modify it.

Notes

• "Mount Rushmore" is always capitalized as it is a proper noun (the name of a specific place).
• It is commonly referred to simply as "Rushmore" in informal contexts (e.g., "We're going to see Rushmore").

Noun

1. a mountain in the Black Hills of South Dakota; the likenesses of Washington and Jefferson and Lincoln and Roosevelt are carved on it