Balboa

American  

[bal-boh-uh, bahl-baw-ah] / bælˈboʊ ə, bɑlˈbɔ ɑ /

noun

1. Vasco Núñez de 1475?–1517, Spanish adventurer and explorer who discovered the Pacific Ocean in 1513.

2. a seaport in Panama at the Pacific terminus of the Panama Canal.

3. balboa, a silver coin and monetary unit of Panama, equal to 100 centesimos.

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Balboa ¹ British  

/ balˈβoa, bælˈbəʊə /

noun

1. Vasco Núñez de (ˈbasko ˈnuɲeθ de). ?1475–1519, Spanish explorer, who discovered the Pacific Ocean in 1513

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Balboa ² British  

/ bælˈbəʊə, balˈβoa /

noun

1. a port in Panama at the Pacific end of the Panama Canal: the administrative centre of the former Canal Zone. Pop: 2750 (1990)

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balboa ³ British  

/ bælˈbəʊə /

noun

1. the standard currency unit of Panama, divided into 100 centesimos

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Etymology

Origin of balboa

named after Vasco Núñez de _Balboa

Example Sentences

They lured me to the Balboa Cafe for dinner and wine.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026

Since 1997, Hutchison had managed the ports of Cristobal on the interoceanic canal's Atlantic side and Balboa on the Pacific side.

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026

On Friday, the AMP said port operator APM Terminals, part of the Maersk Group, would be a "temporary administrator" of the Balboa and Cristobal ports on either end of the waterway.

From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026

Millions of U.S.-destined containers are unloaded and reloaded every year at Hutchison’s Balboa and Cristóbal ports on the Canal.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 16, 2025

Most researchers regard the account of Miguel Cabello Balboa as approximately correct.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann