Washington

(wôs̸hiŋ tən, wäs̸h-)

  1. Washington, Booker T(aliaferro) 1856-1915; U.S. educator & author
  2. Washington, George 1732-99; 1st president of the U.S. (1789-97): commander in chief of the Continental army

  1. NW coastal state of the U.S.: admitted, 1889; 66,544 sq mi (172,348 sq km); pop. 5,894,000; cap. Olympia: abbrev. WA, Wash, or Wa
  2. capital of the U.S., coextensive with the District of Columbia: pop. 572,000
    also called Washington, D.C.
  3. lake in WC Wash., near Seattle: c. 20 mi (32 km) long
  4. mountain of the White Mountains, in N N.H.: highest peak in New England: 6,288 ft (1,917 m)

Origin: after George Washington

See Washington in American Heritage Dictionary 4

  1. Abbr. WA or Wash. A state of the northwest United States on the Pacific Ocean. It was admitted as the 42nd state in 1889. Originally explored by Capt. James Cook (1778), Washington was the object of a dispute between England and the United States until 1846, when its northern border was set at the 49th parallel. Washington is noted for its lumber and defense industries. Olympia is the capital and Seattle the largest city. Population: 6,470,000.
  2. The capital of the United States, on the Potomac River between Virginia and Maryland and coextensive with the District of Columbia. It was designed by Pierre L'Enfant and became the capital in 1800. In the War of 1812 the British captured and sacked (1814) Washington, burning most of the public buildings, including the Capitol and the White House. Population: 588,000.

Related Forms:

  • Washˌing·toˈni·an (wŏshˌĭng-tōˈnē-ən, wôˌshĭng-) adjective & n.

, Booker T(aliaferro) 1856-1915.

American educator. Born into slavery, he acquired an education after emancipation and became the principal of Tuskegee Institute, which flourished under his tutelage (1881-1915).

, George 1732-1799.

American military leader and the first President of the United States (1789-1797). Commander of the American forces in the Revolutionary War (1775-1783), he presided over the Second Constitutional Convention (1787) and was elected President of the fledgling country (1789). He shunned partisan politics and in his farewell address (1796) warned against foreign involvement.

Related Forms:

  • Washˌing·toˈni·an (wŏshˌĭng-tōˈnē-ən, wôˌshĭng-) adjective & n.

, Lake

A lake in west-central Washington on the eastern boundary of Seattle.

, Martha Dandridge Custis 1731-1802.

First Lady of the United States (1789-1797) as the wife of President George Washington.

, Mount

A mountain, 1,917.8 m (6,288 ft) high, of eastern New Hampshire. It is the highest elevation in the White Mountains.

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