Matterhorn
English edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from German Matterhorn.
Proper noun edit
Matterhorn
- An iconic pyramidal mountain on the border of Switzerland and Italy.
- (by extension) Something difficult to achieve or to surmount.
- 1970 August 14, Henry J. Taylor, “Where Do We Stand Now?”, in Prescott Evening Courier:
- A second feature is the Matterhorn of inflation that dominates the scene. The average postwar recession showed a 1.4 per cent decline in industrial wholesale prices.
- 2012, Richard Heinberg, Hedge your Bets in the Peak Oil Debate:
- Meanwhile, soaring oil prices and plummeting real energy yields from liquid fuels have already left economic carnage in their wake, as a fragile global financial system perched on a Matterhorn of debt has been dealt blow after blow by the failure of the real economy to expand as expected.
Translations edit
mountain
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German edit
Etymology edit
Matte (“meadow”) + Horn (“peak”)
Pronunciation edit
Audio (file)
Proper noun edit
Matterhorn n (proper noun, strong, genitive Matterhornes or Matterhorns)
- Matterhorn (a mountain on the border of Switzerland and Italy)