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Durham

//ˈdʌ.ɹəm// name, noun

Definitions

Proper Noun

1
A county in the Northeast of England; in full, County Durham.
2
A city, the county town of County Durham, England.
3
A unitary authority of County Durham, which replaced the county council in 2009 in all of County Durham except Darlington, Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees; in full, Durham County Council.
4
An English habitational surname from Old English from the city in England.
5
An outback town in Queensland, Australia.

Show 19 more definitions

6
A locale in Canada.; A community in New Brunswick; named for Lord Durham, Governor General of Canada.
7
A locale in Canada.; A community in West Grey, Grey County, Ontario.
8
A locale in Canada.; A regional municipality east of Toronto Ontario; in full, Regional Municipality of Durham.
9
A locale in the United States.; A township and unincorporated community in Washington County, Arkansas.
10
A locale in the United States.; A census-designated place in Butte County, California; named for California politician W. W. Durham.
11
A locale in the United States.; A town and census-designated place therein, in Middlesex County, Connecticut; named for the city in England.
12
A locale in the United States.; An unincorporated community in Walker County, Georgia; named for Durham Coal and Coke Company.
13
A locale in the United States.; A township in Hancock County, Illinois.
14
A locale in the United States.; An unincorporated community in Gibson County, Indiana.
15
A locale in the United States.; A minor city in Marion County, Kansas; named for the breed of cattle.
16
A locale in the United States.; A town in Androscoggin County, Maine; named for County Durham, England.
17
A locale in the United States.; An unincorporated community in Lewis County, Missouri; named for a railroad employee.
18
A locale in the United States.; A town and census-designated place therein, in Strafford County, New Hampshire.
19
A locale in the United States.; A town in Greene County, New York; named for the town in Connecticut.
20
A locale in the United States.; A city, the county seat of Durham County, North Carolina; named for landowner Bartlett S. Durham.
21
A locale in the United States.; A township in Durham County, North Carolina, most of which is in the city.
22
A locale in the United States.; An unincorporated community in Roger Mills County, Oklahoma; named for postmaster Doris Durham Morris.
23
A locale in the United States.; A city in Washington County, Oregon; named for pioneer and Oregon Territory legislator Alberto Alonzo Durham.
24
A locale in the United States.; A township and unincorporated community therein, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Noun

1
One of a breed of short-horned cattle, originating in the county of Durham, England, and noted for their beef-producing quality.
2
English breed of short-horned cattle wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Old English Dūnholm, meaning "hill islet". In order to get from Dunholm to Durham, two major processes had to take place. Firstly, the n at the coda of the first syllable, dun, underwent dissimilation. Specifically, by influence of the m in the coda of the following syllable (holm), said n denasalised and lenited to the oral r, thus dur. Secondly, after a weakening of the vowel quality in the more weakly-stressed syllable holm, this ending was misanalysed as the similar-sounding toponymic suffix, -ham, meaning home or farm. Doublet of Duresm and Dunelm.

Etymology 2

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