meru
meru Lexical Profile
• noun
In Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist cosmology, a sacred golden mountain considered to be the central axis of all physical, metaphysical, and spiritual universes.
"Many ancient Asian temples were purposefully designed as architectural representations of Mount Meru."
African A prominent active stratovolcano located in the Arusha Region of northeastern Tanzania, standing as the second-highest mountain in the country.
"Before attempting Kilimanjaro, many climbers choose to summit Mount Meru to aid in their altitude acclimatization."
African A commercial city in eastern Kenya located on the northeastern slopes of Mount Kenya, serving as a major agricultural hub.
"The bustling markets of Meru are essential to the region's coffee and tea trade."
Word Nuance & Usage
As a proper noun, it is standardly capitalized as 'Meru' and frequently preceded by 'Mount' when referring to either the cosmological axis or the Tanzanian stratovolcano.
• Rhymes for meru
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The name for the cosmological mountain derives from Sanskrit 'Meru' (मेरु). The East African geographic and ethnic applications derive from local Bantu linguistic roots.