Bahamas
[buh-hah-muh z, -hey-]
- (used with a plural verb) a group of islands in the W Atlantic Ocean, SE of Florida.
- (used with a singular verb) an independent country comprising this group: formerly a British colony; gained independence 1973. 4404 sq. mi. (11,406 sq. km). Capital: Nassau.
Show More
Also called Bahama Islands.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for bahamas
Contemporary Examples
Casino resorts thrive in the Bahamas and have a presence in almost every port of call for hundreds of miles.
No, there are no Popeyes chicken franchises in the Bahamas, and probably just as many local fans of college ball.
Welcome to the 2014 College Football Season: Exploitation, Florida State, and the AccusedRobert Silverman
August 28, 2014
The Musician, located in Copperfield Bay in the Bahamas, was made in collaboration with musician David Copperfield.
Jolly attacked Sink for using a state plane to “get to a vacation in the Bahamas.”
Despite Their Loss In Florida’s Special Election, Democrats Shouldn’t Panic Over NovemberMichael Tomasky
March 12, 2014
He was seen by several passengers at the Bahamas hotel in Giglio port looking for dry socks.
Historical Examples
The fame of his success in raising the wreck off the Bahamas had already preceded him.
Self-HelpSamuel Smiles
Guanahani was low; Cat Island is the loftiest of the Bahamas.
I have thought of naught else since we came through the Bahamas.
In the Days of DrakeJ. S. Fletcher
I always get the Bahamas mixed up with the Bermudas, anyway.
A Jolly FellowshipFrank R. Stockton
It was a big, fat pamphlet about the Bahamas, and she was studying up for her stay there.
A Jolly FellowshipFrank R. Stockton
Bahamas
Bahama Islands
- the Bahamas a group of over 700 coral islands (about 20 of which are inhabited) in the Caribbean: a British colony from 1783 until 1964; an independent nation within the Commonwealth from 1973. Language: English. Currency: Bahamian dollar. Capital: Nassau. Pop: 319 031 (2013 est). Area: 13 939 sq km (5381 sq miles)
Show More
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 bahamas
Bahamas
islands discovered by Columbus in 1492, settled by English in 1648, long after the native population had been wiped out by disease or carried off into slavery; the name is said to be from Spanish baja mar "low sea," in reference to the shallow water here, but more likely represents a local name, Guanahani, whose origin had been lost and whose meaning has been forgotten.
Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Bahamas
[(buh-hah-muhz)]
Republic in the Atlantic Ocean, consisting of 700 islands and islets and 2,400 smaller islands, called cays.
Show More
Note
The Bahamas were under the control of Britain until 1973, when they became an independent, self-governing state.
Note
The Bahamas are a popular winter resort.
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.