Dictionary Home » Dictionary Definitions » Chicago

Chicago

(s̸hə kä′gō, -kô′-)

city and port in NE Ill., on Lake Michigan: pop. 2,896,000

Origin: < Fr < Algonquian, lit., place of the onion: from the wild onions growing there

Related Forms:

Chicagoan noun

See Chicago in American Heritage Dictionary 4

The largest city of Illinois, in the northeast part of the state on Lake Michigan. It is a major port and the commercial, financial, industrial, and cultural center of the Midwest. It is also the third-largest U.S. city. Chicago was nearly destroyed by a disastrous fire in 1871. Population: 2,830,000.

Related Forms:

Chi·caˈgo·an noun

Word History: People from Chicago ought to like onions. The name Chicago is first recorded in 1688 in a French document, where it appears as Chigagou, an Algonquian word meaning “onion field.” In explanation of this name, the document states there that wild onion or garlic grew profusely in the area. The name of the field or meadow was first transferred to the river and then was given to the city in 1830.

, Judy Born 1939.

American artist best known for The Dinner Party (1979), a ceramic and needlepoint project depicting the social history of women in the Western world.

Learn more about Chicago

Chicago synonyms

Chicago computer definition

Related Articles

What Are Tips and Techniques for Preventing Plagiarism?