Benin
Americannoun
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Formerly Dahomey. a republic in W Africa: formerly part of French West Africa; gained independence in 1960. 44,290 sq. mi. (114,711 sq. km). Porto Novo.
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Bight of, a bay in N Gulf of Guinea in W Africa.
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a former native kingdom in W Africa: now incorporated into Nigeria.
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a river in S Nigeria, flowing into the Bight of Benin.
noun
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Former name (until 1975): Dahomey. a republic in W Africa, on the Bight of Benin , a section of the Gulf of Guinea: in the early 19th century a powerful kingdom, famed for its women warriors; became a French colony in 1893, gaining independence in 1960. It consists chiefly of coastal lagoons and swamps in the south, a fertile plain and marshes in the centre, and the Atakora Mountains in the northwest. Official language: French. Religion: animist majority. Currency: franc. Capital: Porto Novo (the government is based in Cotonou). Pop: 9 877 292 (2013 est). Area: 112 622 sq km (43 474 sq miles)
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a former kingdom of W Africa, powerful from the 14th to the 17th centuries: now a province of S Nigeria: noted for its bronzes
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Before the game, I said there are no easy teams, and Benin were tough opponents. Egypt are a great team and I want to make my people happy," said Pharaohs coach Hossam Hassan.
From Barron's
Sadiki is a harsh judge of his own performances so far in Morocco, where DR Congo made the last 16 with wins against Benin and Botswana and a draw against Senegal.
From Barron's
Benin's three points, courtesy of a solitary 1-0 win over Botswana, are enough for them to go through as one of the best third-placed teams.
From Barron's
Sadio Mane's Senegal, African champions in 2022, defeated Benin 3-0 in Tangier to top Group D on goal difference ahead of the Leopards, who won by the same margin against Botswana in Rabat.
From Barron's
The last round of group games continues on Tuesday, with Tanzania playing Tunisia and Nigeria facing Uganda in Group C. Senegal take on Benin and the Democratic Republic of Congo play Botswana in Group D.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
