Algiers

[ al-jeerz ]

/ ælˈdʒɪərz /

noun

a seaport in and the capital of Algeria, in the N part.

one of the former Barbary States in N Africa: now modern Algeria.

Definition for algiers (2 of 2)

Algeria

[ al-jeer-ee-uh ]

/ ælˈdʒɪər i ə /

noun

a republic in NW Africa: formerly comprised 13 departments of France; gained independence 1962. 919,352 sq. mi. (2,381,122 sq. km). Capital: Algiers.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for algiers

The police state system that propped up dictators from Algiers to Islamabad for decades was unsustainable.
Why’s Al Qaeda So Strong? Washington Has (Literally) No idea|Bruce Riedel|November 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“People are now planting bombs in the tramways of Algiers,” he said in 1957, when he was in Stockholm to receive the Nobel Prize.
Why Albert Camus Remains Controversial|Adam Kirsch|October 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
We fought our first foreign war in Algiers to defeat the Barbary pirates.
The Algeria Powder Keg|Bruce Riedel|January 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
They avoid the public limelight and are known in Algiers as le pouvoir, the power behind the scenes.
The Algeria Powder Keg|Bruce Riedel|January 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST

John Kerry can expect many more trips to Algiers in his time as secretary of state.
The Algeria Powder Keg|Bruce Riedel|January 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He choked, recovered himself, and continued: "Disreputable quarters of Algiers—hem———"
The Mission Of Mr. Eustace Greyne|Robert Hichens
The chief Atrocities in Algiers event of the year brought execration upon the arms of France.
A History of the Nineteenth Century, Year by Year|Edwin Emerson
He was also a prisoner in Algiers five years; and ten times he risked his life in attempts to escape.
Vine and Olive; Or Young America in Spain and Portugal|Oliver Optic
I was, however, ignorant of the consequences it might have brought upon me on my arrival at Algiers.
Biographies of Distinguished Scientific Men|Francois Arago
No wonder the pilgrim in Algiers is charmed, and lingers long beyond his time.
Miss Caprice|St. George Rathborne

British Dictionary definitions for algiers (1 of 2)

Algiers

/ (ælˈdʒɪəz) /

noun

the capital of Algeria, an ancient port on the Mediterranean; until 1830 a centre of piracy. Pop: 3 260 000 (2005 est)Arabic name: Al-Jezair (ˌældʒɛˈzɑːɪə) French name: Alger (alʒe)

British Dictionary definitions for algiers (2 of 2)

Algeria

/ (ælˈdʒɪərɪə) /

noun

a republic in NW Africa, on the Mediterranean: became independent in 1962, after more than a century of French rule; one-party constitution adopted in 1976; religious extremists led a campaign of violence from 1988 until 2000; consists chiefly of the N Sahara, with the Atlas Mountains in the north, and contains rich deposits of oil and natural gas. Official languages: Arabic and Berber; French also widely spoken. Religion: Muslim. Currency: dinar. Capital: Algiers. Pop: 38 087 812 (2013 est). Area: about 2 382 800 sq km (920 000 sq miles)French name: Algérie (alʒeri)

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

Word Origin and History for algiers

Algeria

North African country, named for Algiers, city chosen by the French as its capital when they colonized it in 1830 + Latinate "country" suffix -ia. The city name is Arabic al-Jazair, literally "the islands," in reference to four islands formerly off the coast but joined to the mainland since 1525. A resident of the place formerly was an Algerine (1650s), and the word was practically synonymous with "pirate" in English and U.S. usage early 19c.

Culture definitions for algiers (1 of 2)

Algiers

[ (al-jeerz) ]

Capital of Algeria and largest city in the country, located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

Culture definitions for algiers (2 of 2)

Algeria

Republic in northwest Africa, bordered to the north by the Mediterranean Sea, to the east by Tunisia and Libya, to the south by Niger and Mali, and to the west by Mauritania and Morocco. Its capital and largest city is Algiers.

Note

Colonized by France in the nineteenth century, Algeria was involved in a long and bloody battle for independence, gaining full autonomy in the early 1960s.