Appomattox

American

[ap-uh-mat-uhks] / ˌæp əˈmæt əks /

noun

a town in central Virginia where Lee surrendered to Grant on April 9, 1865, ending the Civil War.
a river flowing E from E central Virginia to the James River. 137 miles (220 km) long.

Appomattox British

/ ˌæpəˈmætəks /

noun

a village in central Virginia where the Confederate army under Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant's Union forces on April 9, 1865, effectively ending the American Civil War

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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Appomattox

Only two Confederates were tried, convicted and executed for war crimes after the 1865 surrender at Appomattox.

From Salon ● May 18, 2026

It’s Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox treating Robert E. Lee with perfectly calibrated respect, letting Lee’s officers keep their sidearms and his men their personal horses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 1, 2026

Another just opened in February, owned by the former head of the Appomattox County GOP.

From Slate ● Oct. 26, 2024

When Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant after the Battle of Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, the South’s defeat in the Civil War had been all but assured.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 17, 2023

Union soldiers standing in front of the courthouse at Appomattox Court House, April 1865.

From "Lincoln's Last Days: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever" by Bill O'Reilly

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023