kansas city
kansas city Lexical Profile
• noun
American The largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, located on the western border with Kansas, widely celebrated for its jazz heritage, numerous fountains, and distinctive style of barbecue.
"We took a weekend road trip to Kansas City to listen to live jazz and enjoy some authentic barbecue."
American A major bi-state metropolitan area in the Midwestern United States that encompasses portions of both Missouri and Kansas.
"The Kansas City metropolitan area serves as a major transportation and agricultural hub for the Midwest."
American A city in the U.S. state of Kansas, situated at the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas rivers directly across the state line from its larger Missouri counterpart.
"The manufacturing facility is located just across the river in Kansas City, Kansas."
Word Nuance & Usage
Because it straddles a state line, 'Kansas City' most frequently refers to the much larger city in Missouri (KCMO), but can also refer to the adjacent, smaller city in Kansas (KCK) or the entire bi-state metropolitan area.
Word Origin & Etymology
Named after the Kansas River, which in turn was named by French explorers after the native Kansa (or Kaw) people. Originally incorporated as the 'Town of Kansas' in 1850, it was later renamed 'Kansas City' to distinguish it from the surrounding territory.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.