Haiti

[ hey-tee ]

noun
  1. a republic in the West Indies occupying the western part of the island of Hispaniola. 10,714 sq. mi. (27,750 sq. km). Capital: Port-au-Prince.: Formerly Hay·ti .

  2. Also Hay·ti . a former name of Hispaniola.

Words Nearby Haiti

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Haiti in a sentence

  • About one year after leaving the colony at Haiti, Columbus came back, to find the place deserted.

    The Story of the Thirteen Colonies | H. A. (Hlne Adeline) Guerber
  • After a stormy passage, he reached the colony at Haiti, where the governor refused to allow him to land.

    The Story of the Thirteen Colonies | H. A. (Hlne Adeline) Guerber
  • The Spaniards in Cuba and Haiti, hearing many tales of the gold to be found in the west, soon sent out several expeditions.

    The Story of the Thirteen Colonies | H. A. (Hlne Adeline) Guerber
  • This is the rule; and the slave revolution in Haiti was not an exception to it, but a case occurring under peculiar circumstances.

  • There was a picture of the general at a press conference, and notes about his role in the difficult Haiti mission.

    Little Brother | Cory Doctorow

British Dictionary definitions for Haiti

Haiti

/ (ˈheɪtɪ, hɑːˈiːtɪ) /


noun
  1. a republic occupying the W part of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean, the E part consisting of the Dominican Republic: ceded by Spain to France in 1697 and became one of the richest colonial possessions in the world, with numerous plantations; slaves rebelled under Toussaint L'Ouverture in 1793 and defeated the French; taken over by the US (1915–41) after long political and economic chaos; under the authoritarian regimes of François Duvalier ('Papa Doc') (1957–71) and his son Jean-Claude Duvalier ('Baby Doc') (1971–86); returned to civilian rule in 1990, but another coup in 1991 brought military rule, which was ended in 1994 with US intervention. Official languages: French and Haitian creole. Religions: Roman Catholic and voodoo. Currency: gourde. Capital: Port-au-Prince. Pop: 9 893 934 (2013 est). Area: 27 749 sq km (10 714 sq miles)

  2. a former name for Hispaniola

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

Cultural definitions for Haiti

Haiti

Republic in the West Indies, on the western third of the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Its capital and largest city is Port-au-Prince.

Notes for Haiti

With its extremely low average income and literacy rate, Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere.

Notes for Haiti

In 1957, François (“Papa Doc”) Duvalier established a dictatorship; at his death in 1971, he was succeeded by his son, Jean Claude (“Baby Doc”), who was finally overthrown in 1986. Since then the government has changed several times through military coups. In 1994, U.S. troops arrived in Haiti in an effort to restore democratic government, however, the political and economic future of Haiti remains uncertain.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.