Standard Lemma guide

tepui

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˈtɛpwi/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A type of table-top mountain or mesa found in the Guiana Highlands of South America, especially in Venezuela.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 2005, P. E. Berry, R. Riina, Insights into the diversity of the Pantepui flora and the biogeographic complexity of the Guayana Shield, Ib Friis, Henrik Balslev (editors), Plant Diversity and Complexity Patterns, page 153, Once a population becomes adapted to the tepui summit environment, it is more likely to colonize other areas with similar environmental conditions, so it would need to disperse between tepui summits to expand its geographical range.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Spanish tepuy, from Pemon tüpü (“rocky system, mountain, tepui”), though sometimes erroneously said to be from Pemon tapüi (“house”) in the sense of ‘house of the gods’. Perhaps ultimately related to Proto-Cariban *tôpu (“stone”), though the Pemon etymon is not a direct descendant.

Across languages

Translations

1 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Ye'kwana: jüü — mountain with a flat top