Belgium

[bel-juh m]

noun

a kingdom in W Europe, bordering the North Sea, N of France. 11,779 sq. mi. (30,508 sq. km). Capital: Brussels.

French Bel·gique

[bel-zheek] /bɛlˈʒik/;Flemish Bel·gi·ë

[bel-khee-uh] /ˈbɛl xi ə/.

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

Examples from the Web for belgique

Historical Examples of belgique

In the entry "Belgique" (p. 75) the third item is credited to "id."
A History of Bibliographies of Bibliographies
Archer Taylor
"We'll split expenses on the Belgique, of course," declared the American.
The Blind Lion of the Congo
Elliott Whitney
To say that a man has got a "Belgique" means that he is dead.
Into the Jaws of Death
Jack O'Brien
Then our soldier passenger leaned across in front of Blount and whispered "Belgique."
A Journal From Our Legation in Belgium
Hugh Gibson
He said: n'ayez pas peur, nous n'avons pas grande envie d'entrer en Belgique dans ce moment.
Lord Lyons: A Record of British Diplomacy
Thomas Wodehouse Legh Newton

British Dictionary definitions for belgique

Belgium

noun

a federal kingdom in NW Europe: at various times under the rulers of Burgundy, Spain, Austria, France, and the Netherlands before becoming an independent kingdom in 1830. It formed the Benelux customs union with the Netherlands and Luxembourg in 1948 and and was a founder member of the Common Market, now the European Union. It consists chiefly of a low-lying region of sand, woods, and heath (the Campine) in the north and west, and a fertile undulating central plain rising to the Ardennes Mountains in the southeast. Languages: French, Flemish (Dutch), German. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: euro. Capital: Brussels. Pop: 10 444 268 (2013 est). Area: 30 513 sq km (11 778 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 belgique

Belgium

c.1600, "Low Germany and the Netherlands," from the Latin name of the territory near here occupied by the Belgæ, a Celtic tribe. Adopted 1830 as the name of a new nation formed from the southern part of the former United Kingdom of the Netherlands.

belgique in Culture

Belgium

Monarchy in northwestern Europe, bordered by the North Sea and The Netherlands to the north, Germany and Luxembourg to the east, and France to the south. Its capital and largest city is Brussels.

Note

Headquarters for the EU and for NATO.