Potomac
name ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A river that flows along the borders of Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia, and through Washington, United States.
"The Potomac surges against the banks, flush with this morning’s rain."
- 2 An unincorporated community and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States.
- 3 A village in Vermilion County, Illinois, United States.
- 4 The asteroid (1345) Potomac.
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"To celebrate the June 5 World Environment Day, diplomats from more than a dozen foreign embassies and international organizations Monday joined the U.S. State Department to plant underwater seagrass in the Potomac River, a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay."
Etymology
European spelling of an Algonquian name, variously claimed to mean "river of swans", "place where people trade" or "place to which tribute is brought". The natives called the river above the falls Cohongorooton, "river of geese", and that area was renowned in early years for an abundance of both geese and swans. The spelling of the name has been simplified over the years from Patawomeke to Patowmack in the 18th century and now Potomac. The river's name was determined officially as Potomac by the US government's Board on Geographic Names during 1931.