Uruguay

[ yoor-uh-gwey, -gwahy; Spanish oo-roo-gwahy ]

noun

1. a republic in southeastern South America. 72,172 sq. mi. (186,925 sq. km). : Montevideo.
2. a river in southeastern South America, flowing from southern Brazil along the boundary of eastern Argentina into the Río de la Plata. 981 miles (1,580 km) long.

Uruguay

/ ˈjʊərəˌɡwaɪ /

noun

1. a republic in South America, on the Atlantic: Spanish colonization began in 1624, followed by Portuguese settlement in 1680; revolted against Spanish rule in 1820 but was annexed by the Portuguese to Brazil; gained independence in 1825. It consists mainly of rolling grassy plains, low hills, and plateaus. Official language: Spanish. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: peso. Capital: Montevideo. Pop: 3 324 460 (2013 est). Area: 176 215 sq km (68 037 sq miles)

Uruguay

1. Republic on the east coast of South America , tucked between Brazil to the north and east and Argentina to the west. The capital and largest city is Montevideo .

Notes

It is a major producer of beef, leather, and wool.

Uruguay was under a repressive and violent military government from 1973 to 1985.

Other Words From

• an·ti-U·ru·guay·an adjective
• U·ru·guay·an [y, oo, r-, uh, -, gwey, -, uh, n, -, gwahy, -, uh, n], adjective noun
• pro-U·ru·guay·an adjective noun

Example Sentences

Recently retired striker Sebastián Abreu of Uruguay has them all beat.

From FiveThirtyEight

Uruguay in 2013 became the first country in the world to legalize marijuana.

From Washington Blade

Thus, dulce de leche became an essential part of Argentina’s culinary heritage, until the country tried to make it official before UNESCO and the World Trade Organization, and Uruguay protested.

From Washington Post

Uruguay is among the countries that include transition-related health care in their public health care systems.

From Washington Blade

Uruguay has been a rare bright spot in coronavirus-­ravaged South America, thanks to a highly developed research infrastructure, a tradition of at-home medical care, and a strong public health system.

From MIT Technology Review

This is the Mexico that has been called a “failed state” — most recently by Jose “Pepe” Mujica, the president of Uruguay.

From The Daily Beast

The rift put Washington at odds with countries like Brazil, Uruguay or Chile, which seemed to have come to terms with their past.

From The Daily Beast

So, an amendment was proposed—formally put forward by Uruguay—that would acknowledge that “various forms of the family exist.”

From The Daily Beast

If one word—soccer (or football)—sums up Uruguay, two words—Luis Suárez—capture the potency of the Uruguayan game.

From The Daily Beast

So going into this game against Uruguay, there was none of the usual English self-deprecation.

From The Daily Beast

Uruguay, therefore, finally severed the connection with Argentina, and passes out of our history.

From Project Gutenberg

Outside Argentina and Uruguay the Royalist cause had held its own, and in many districts had triumphed.

From Project Gutenberg

Uruguay for the last time revolted, and severed the tie which bound her to the Empire, having never since been subject to Brazil.

From Project Gutenberg

The result was, perhaps, evident in a rather lesser degree in the case of both Brazil and Uruguay.

From Project Gutenberg

Another railway line follows the Uruguay from Concordia northward into Corrientes.

From Project Gutenberg