Bahamas

[buh-hah-muh z, -hey-]

noun

(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.

Also called Bahama Islands.

Related formsBa·ha·mi·an

[buh-hey-mee-uh n, -hah-] /bəˈheɪ mi ən, -ˈhɑ-/, noun, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for bahamas

Contemporary Examples of bahamas

Casino resorts thrive in the Bahamas and have a presence in almost every port of call for hundreds of miles.
Will Hyman Roth Return to Havana With Normalized Relations?
John L. Smith
December 18, 2014
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 Accused
Robert Silverman
August 28, 2014
The Musician, located in Copperfield Bay in the Bahamas, was made in collaboration with musician David Copperfield.
Artist Jason deCaires Taylor’s Underwater Sculptures Are a Sight to Sea
Justin Jones
April 7, 2014
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 November
Michael Tomasky
March 12, 2014
He was seen by several passengers at the Bahamas hotel in Giglio port looking for dry socks.
Captain Schettino Returns to Costa Concordia Crime Scene
Barbie Latza Nadeau
February 27, 2014

Historical Examples of bahamas

Much of the liquor is brought by ship from the Bahamas and the West Indies, and then smuggled ashore in various ways.
The Radio Boys with the Revenue Guards
Gerald Breckenridge
The Bahamas are low-lying coral islands, producing but little except sponges, fruit, and sisal-hemp.
Commercial Geography
Jacques W. Redway
This boat he had kept in the Bahamas, but recently had brought North.
The Radio Boys with the Revenue Guards
Gerald Breckenridge
The fruits and spices of the Bahamas are very numerous, the fruit equalling any in the world.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 2
Various
While in the Bahamas he had been told of another Spanish wreck, "wherein was lost a mighty treasure, hitherto undiscovered."
Historic Tales, Vol. 1 (of 15)
Charles Morris

British Dictionary definitions for bahamas

Bahamas

Bahama Islands

pl n

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)

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.

Culture definitions for bahamas

Bahamas

[(buh-hah-muhz)]

Republic in the Atlantic Ocean, consisting of 700 islands and islets and 2,400 smaller islands, called cays.

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.