Adjacent Words

Country definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

COUNTRY, n. [L., land adjacent to a city. Hence the citizen says, let us go into the country. The Latin has conterraneus, a countryman.]
1. Properly, the land lying about or near a city; the territory situated in the vicinity of a city. Our friend has a seat in the country, a few miles from town. See Mark 5. Luke 8. Hence,
2. The whole territory of a kingdom or state, as opposed to city. We say, the gentleman has a seat in the country, at any distance from town indefinitely. Hence,
3. Any tract of land, or inhabited land; any region, as distinguished from other regions; a kingdom, state or lesser district. We speak of all the countries of Europe or Asia.
And they came into the country of Moab. Ruth 1.
4. The kingdom , state or territory in which one is born; the land of nativity; or the particular district indefinitely in which one is born. America is my country, or Connecticut is my country.
Laban said, it must not be so done in our country. Genesis 29.
5. The region in which one resides.
He sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country. Hebrews 11.
6. Land, as opposed to water; or inhabited territory.
The shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country. Acts 27.
7. The inhabitants of a region.
All the country wept with a loud voice. 1 Samuel 15.
8. A place of residence; a region of permanent habitation.
They declare plainly that they seek a country. Hebrews 11.
They desire a better country, a heavenly. Hebrews 11.
9. In law, a jury or jurors; as, trial by the country, per pais.
COUNTRY, a.
1. Pertaining to the country or territory at a distance from a city; rural; rustic; as a country town; a country seat; a country squire; a country life; the country party, as opposed to city party.
2. Pertaining or peculiar to ones own country.
He spoke in his country language.
3. Rude; ignorant.
Country-dance, and erroneous orthography. [See Contra-dance.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a politically organized body of people under a single government; "the state has elected a new president"; "African nations"; "students who had come to the nation's capitol"; "the country's largest manufacturer"; "an industrialized land" [syn: state, nation, country, land, commonwealth, res publica, body politic]
2: the territory occupied by a nation; "he returned to the land of his birth"; "he visited several European countries" [syn: country, state, land]
3: the people who live in a nation or country; "a statement that sums up the nation's mood"; "the news was announced to the nation"; "the whole country worshipped him" [syn: nation, land, country]
4: an area outside of cities and towns; "his poetry celebrated the slower pace of life in the country" [syn: country, rural area] [ant: populated area, urban area]
5: a particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography); "it was a mountainous area"; "Bible country" [syn: area, country]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun (plural countries) Etymology: Middle English contree, from Anglo-French cuntree, contré, from Medieval Latin contrata, from Latin contra against, on the opposite side Date: 13th century 1. an indefinite usually extended expanse of land ; region <miles of open country> 2. a. the land of a person's birth, residence, or citizenship b. a political state or nation or its territory 3. a. the people of a state or district ; populace b. jury c. electorate 2 4. rural as distinguished from urban areas <prefers the country to the city> 5. country music • countryish adjective II. adjective Date: 14th century 1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the country 2. a. of or relating to a decorative style associated with life in the country <an English country look>; also possessing a style of rustic simplicity <country furniture> b. prepared or processed with farm supplies and procedures <country ham> 3. of, relating to, suitable for, or featuring country music <country singers>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (pl. -ies) 1 a the territory of a nation with its own government; a State. b a territory possessing its own language, people, culture, etc. 2 (often attrib.) rural districts as opposed to towns or the capital (a cottage in the country; a country town). 3 the land of a person's birth or citizenship; a fatherland. 4 a a territory, esp. an area of interest or knowledge. b a region associated with a particular person, esp. a writer (Hardy country). 5 Brit. a national population, esp. as voters (the country won't stand for it). Phrases and idioms: across country not keeping to roads. country-and-western rural or cowboy songs originating in the US, and usu. accompanied by a guitar etc. country club a sporting and social club in a rural setting. country cousin often derog. a person with a countrified appearance or manners. country dance a traditional sort of dance, esp. English, with couples facing each other in long lines. country gentleman a gentleman with landed property. country house a usu. large house in the country, often the seat of a country gentleman. country music = country-and-western. country party a political party supporting agricultural interests. country seat a large country house belonging to an aristocratic family. country-wide extending throughout a nation. go (or appeal) to the country Brit. test public opinion by dissolving Parliament and holding a general election. in the country Cricket sl. far from the wickets; in the deep field. line of country a subject about which a person is knowledgeable. unknown country an unfamiliar place or topic. Etymology: ME f. OF cuntree, f. med.L contrata (terra) (land) lying opposite (CONTRA)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Key Key (k[=e]), n. [OE. keye, key, kay, AS. c[ae]g.] 1. An instrument by means of which the bolt of a lock is shot or drawn; usually, a removable metal instrument fitted to the mechanism of a particular lock and operated by turning in its place. 2. An instrument which is turned like a key in fastening or adjusting any mechanism; as, a watch key; a bed key, etc. 3. That part of an instrument or machine which serves as the means of operating it; as, a telegraph key; the keys of a pianoforte, or of a typewriter. 4. A position or condition which affords entrance, control, pr possession, etc.; as, the key of a line of defense; the key of a country; the key of a political situation. Hence, that which serves to unlock, open, discover, or solve something unknown or difficult; as, the key to a riddle; the key to a problem. Those who are accustomed to reason have got the true key of books. --Locke. Who keeps the keys of all the creeds. --Tennyson. 5. That part of a mechanism which serves to lock up, make fast, or adjust to position. 6. (Arch.) (a) A piece of wood used as a wedge. (b) The last board of a floor when laid down. 7. (Masonry) (a) A keystone. (b) That part of the plastering which is forced through between the laths and holds the rest in place. 8. (Mach.) (a) A wedge to unite two or more pieces, or adjust their relative position; a cotter; a forelock. See Illusts. of Cotter, and Gib. (b) A bar, pin or wedge, to secure a crank, pulley, coupling, etc., upon a shaft, and prevent relative turning; sometimes holding by friction alone, but more frequently by its resistance to shearing, being usually embedded partly in the shaft and partly in the crank, pulley, etc. 9. (Bot.) An indehiscent, one-seeded fruit furnished with a wing, as the fruit of the ash and maple; a samara; -- called also key fruit. 10. (Mus.) (a) A family of tones whose regular members are called diatonic tones, and named key tone (or tonic) or one (or eight), mediant or three, dominant or five, subdominant or four, submediant or six, supertonic or two, and subtonic or seven. Chromatic tones are temporary members of a key, under such names as `` sharp four,'' ``flat seven,'' etc. Scales and tunes of every variety are made from the tones of a key. (b) The fundamental tone of a movement to which its modulations are referred, and with which it generally begins and ends; keynote. Both warbling of one song, both in one key. --Shak. 11. Fig: The general pitch or tone of a sentence or utterance. You fall at once into a lower key. --Cowper. Key bed. Same as Key seat. Key bolt, a bolt which has a mortise near the end, and is secured by a cotter or wedge instead of a nut. Key bugle. See Kent bugle. Key of a position or country. (Mil.) See Key, 4. Key seat (Mach.), a bed or groove to receive a key which prevents one part from turning on the other. Key way, a channel for a key, in the hole of a piece which is keyed to a shaft; an internal key seat; -- called also key seat. Key wrench (Mach.), an adjustable wrench in which the movable jaw is made fast by a key. Power of the keys (Eccl.), the authority claimed by the ministry in some Christian churches to administer the discipline of the church, and to grant or withhold its privileges; -- so called from the declaration of Christ, ``I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven.'' --Matt. xvi. 19.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Country Coun"try, a. 1. Pertaining to the regions remote from a city; rural; rustic; as, a country life; a country town; the country party, as opposed to city. 2. Destitute of refinement; rude; unpolished; rustic; not urbane; as, country manners. 3. Pertaining, or peculiar, to one's own country. She, bowing herself towards him, laughing the cruel tyrant to scorn, spake in her country language. --2 Macc. vii. 27.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Country Coun"try (k?n"tr?), n.; pl. Countries (-tr?z). [F. contr['e]e, LL. contrata, fr. L. contra over against, on the opposite side. Cf. Counter, adv., Contra.] 1. A tract of land; a region; the territory of an independent nation; (as distinguished from any other region, and with a personal pronoun) the region of one's birth, permanent residence, or citizenship. Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred. --Gen. xxxxii. 9. I might have learned this by my last exile, that change of countries cannot change my state. --Stirling. Many a famous realm And country, whereof here needs no account --Milton. 2. Rural regions, as opposed to a city or town. As they walked, on their way into the country. --Mark xvi. 12 (Rev. Ver. ). God made the covatry, and man made the town. --Cowper. Only very great men were in the habit of dividing the year between town and country. --Macaulay. 3. The inhabitants or people of a state or a region; the populace; the public. Hence: (a) One's constituents. (b) The whole body of the electors of state; as, to dissolve Parliament and appeal to the country. All the country in a general voice Cried hate upon him. --Shak. 4. (Law) (a) A jury, as representing the citizens of a country. (b) The inhabitants of the district from which a jury is drawn. 5. (Mining.) The rock through which a vein runs. Conclusion to the country. See under Conclusion. To put, or throw, one's self upon the country, to appeal to one's constituents; to stand trial before a jury.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(countries) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. A country is one of the political units which the world is divided into, covering a particular area of land. Indonesia is the fifth most populous country in the world. ...that disputed boundary between the two countries... Young people do move around the country quite a bit these days. N-COUNT 2. The people who live in a particular country can be referred to as the country. Seventy per cent of this country is opposed to blood sports. N-SING: usu the N 3. The country consists of places such as farms, open fields, and villages which are away from towns and cities. ...a healthy life in the country... She was cycling along a country road near Compiegne... = countryside N-SING: the N 4. A particular kind of country is an area of land which has particular characteristics or is connected with a particular well-known person. Varese Ligure is a small town in mountainous country east of Genoa. N-UNCOUNT: supp N 5. Country music is popular music from the southern United States. ...a famous country singer named Katie Cocker. N-UNCOUNT: usu N n 6. If you travel across country, you travel through country areas, avoiding major roads and towns. From here we walked across country to Covington. PHRASE: v PHR 7. If you travel across country, you travel a long distance, from one part of a country to another. We've just moved all the way across country to begin a new life. PHRASE: v PHR 8. If a head of government or a government goes to the country, they hold a general election. (BRIT) The Prime Minister does not have to go to the country for another year. PHRASE: V inflects

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

kun'-tri ('erets, "land," sadheh, "field"; agros, "field," chora, "region"): The foregoing are the principal words rendered "country" in English Versions of the Bible, though we find also 'adhamah, "earth" (Jon 4:2); 'i, "island" (Jer 47:4 the King James Version); gelilah, "circuit" (Eze 47:8 the King James Version); chebhel, "rope" (De 3:14); maqom, "place" (Ge 29:26 the King James Version); nepheth,"hill" or "height" (Jos 17:11 the King James Version); genos, "race" (Ac 4:36 the King James Version); ge, "earth" (Mt 9:31 the King James Version; Ac 7:3 the King James Version); patris, "native land" (Lu 4:23; Joh 4:44; Heb 11:14); perichoros, "country (the American Standard Revised Version "region") round about" (Mt 14:35; Lu 3:3; 4:37; 8:37). In Heb 11:14 ff, "heaven" is referred to as a country. Egypt and Assyria were "far countries" (Jer 8:19 the King James Version; Zec 10:9). The hill country (compare the numerous Gibeahs (gibh`ah, "a hill")) was the mountainous region to the North or to the South of Jerusalem. The low country, shephelah (see SHEPHELAH), consisted of the foothills to the west of the hill country. The south country or NEGEB (neghebh), which see, was the dry, extreme southern part of Palestine, approximately between Beersheba and Kadesh-barnea.

Alfred Ely Day

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Region, land, geographical division, political division. 2. Rural parts (as distinguished from city). 3. Native land, fatherland, nation, home, abiding habitation. 4. Nation, people, population, inhabitants. II. a. 1. Rustic, rural. 2. Rude, rough, unrefined, unpolished, uncultivated, countrified.

Moby Thesaurus

Arcadian, acres, agrarian, agrestic, agricultural, airspace, alluvion, alluvium, arable land, area, belt, blue-ribbon jury, boondocks, bucolic, campestral, clay, clod, confines, continental shelf, corridor, countrified, countryside, crust, department, dirt, district, division, dry land, dust, earth, environs, farm, fatherland, freehold, glebe, grand jury, grassland, ground, heartland, hinterland, home, homeland, hung jury, inquest, jury, jury list, jury of inquest, jury of matrons, jury panel, land, landholdings, lithosphere, lowland, marginal land, marl, milieu, mold, mother country, motherland, mountains, nation, native land, neighborhood, offshore rights, outback, outland, panel, part, parts, pastoral, petit jury, place, police jury, power, precincts, premises, provinces, provincial, purlieus, quarter, real estate, real property, realm, region, regolith, rural, rustic, salient, section, sessions, sod, soil, space, special jury, state, sticks, subaerial deposit, subsoil, terra, terra firma, terrain, territory, the country, three-mile limit, topsoil, trial jury, twelve-mile limit, upland, venire, vicinage, vicinity, wilderness, woodland, woods, zone