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Definition of tagus
tagus
/ˈteɪ.ɡəs/
Ta · gus
tagus Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
9
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
The longest river in the Iberian Peninsula, rising in the Montes Universales in eastern Spain and flowing westward across Spain and Portugal to empty into the Atlantic Ocean near Lisbon.
Example
"The ancient city of Toledo was strategically built on a rocky hill surrounded on three sides by a deep gorge carved by the Tagus."
Word Nuance & Usage
In English, the river is standardly referred to by its Latinized name, the Tagus, whereas it is called the Tajo in Spanish and the Tejo in Portuguese.
• Rhymes for tagus
Word Origin & Etymology
From Latin 'Tagus', derived from a Celtiberian or pre-Celtic name of uncertain origin, possibly related to an Indo-European root meaning 'to cut' or 'to dig', in reference to the river carving through deep ravines.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Tagus. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/tagus