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Abu Dhabi

[ah-boo dah-bee]
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noun
  1. a sheikdom in the N United Arab Emirates, on the S coast of the Persian Gulf.
  2. the capital of this sheikdom.
  3. the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
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United Arab Emirates

noun (usually used with a singular verb)
  1. an independent federation in E Arabia, formed in 1971, now comprising seven emirates on the S coast (formerly, Pirate Coast or Trucial Coast) of the Persian Gulf, formerly under British protection: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Qaiwain, Ras al-Khaimah (joined 1972), and Fujairah. About 32,300 sq. mi. (83,657 sq. km). Capital: Abu Dhabi. Abbreviation: U.A.E.
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Formerly Trucial Oman, Trucial Sheikdoms, Trucial States.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for abu dhabi

Abu Dhabi

noun
  1. a sheikhdom (emirate) of SE Arabia, on the S coast of the Persian Gulf: the chief sheikhdom and capital of the United Arab Emirates, consisting principally of the port of Abu Dhabi and a desert hinterland; contains major oilfields. Pop: 476 000 (2005 est). Area: 67 350 sq km (25 998 sq miles)
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United Arab Emirates

pl n
  1. a group of seven emirates in SW Asia, on the Persian Gulf: consists of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al Qaiwain, Ras el Khaimah, and Fujairah; a former British protectorate; became fully independent in 1971; consists mostly of flat desert, with mountains in the east; rich petroleum resources. Official language: Arabic. Official religion: Muslim. Currency: dirham. Capital: Abu Dhabi. Pop: 5 473 972 (2013 est). Area: 83 600 sq km (32 300 sq miles)Former name (until 1971): Trucial States Abbreviation: UAE
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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
abu dhabi in Culture

United Arab Emirates

[(em-uhr-uhts, uh-meer-uhts)]

A federation of seven kingdoms on the Persian Gulf coast of the Arabian Peninsula, bordered to the east by Oman, the south and west by Saudi Arabia, and the northwest by Qatar.

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Note

Once the domain of pirates, the area was subdued by the British in 1820. It was a British protectorate from 1892 until the late 1960s.

Note

Oil reserves have been exploited since the early 1960s.
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.