columbia
columbia Lexical Profile
• noun
North American A major river in the Pacific Northwest of North America, flowing from the Canadian province of British Columbia through Washington and Oregon into the Pacific Ocean.
"The Columbia is renowned for its numerous hydroelectric dams and its historically massive salmon runs."
American The capital and second-largest city of the U.S. state of South Carolina.
"They drove down to Columbia to visit the state legislature and the university campus."
American A historical and poetic name for the United States of America, often represented as a female personification of the nation before the widespread adoption of the Statue of Liberty.
"During the 19th century, Columbia was frequently depicted in political cartoons as a statuesque goddess draped in the American flag."
Word Nuance & Usage
Not to be confused with 'Colombia', the country in South America; 'Columbia' with a 'u' is a historical and poetic name for the United States, as well as a ubiquitous proper noun in North American geography.
• Rhymes for columbia
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the 1730s from the surname of explorer Christopher Columbus, with the Latin suffix '-ia' (used for place names), originally serving as a poetic name for the American colonies and later the United States.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.