Boston

[ baw-stuhn, bos-tuhn ]

/ ˈbɔ stən, ˈbɒs tən /

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See synonyms for Boston on Thesaurus.com

noun

a seaport in and the capital of Massachusetts, in the E part.

(lowercase) a variety of whist, popular in the early 19th century, played by four persons with two packs of cards.

(usually lowercase) a social dance that is a modification of the waltz.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby Boston

bossman, boss screen, Bossuet, bossy, bosthoon, Boston, Boston bag, Boston baked beans, Boston bluefish, Boston brown bread, Boston crab

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Boston in a sentence

Over time our Boston rendezvous turned into weekends at his apartment.
Such a pretty face|Aubrey Gordon|February 26, 2021|Vox
Some, including a day-care center in suburban Boston and a specialized manufacturer outside Detroit, are being purchased or transferred to new management, according to court filings.
The wave of covid bankruptcies has begun|Jonathan O'Connell, Anu Narayanswamy|February 26, 2021|Washington Post
I line them up on a slice of toasted bread and then build the sandwich up from there with Boston lettuce and extra crispy bacon.
How to make a wonderful BLT with out-of-season tomatoes|Daniela Galarza|February 25, 2021|Washington Post
The championship-winning 2007-08 team had only 50 percent of its minutes and 49 percent of its RAPTOR wins above replacement in common with the bad 2006-07 roster, which helps explain Boston’s sudden rise.
The Utah Jazz Ran It Back — And Got Way Better|Neil Paine (neil.paine@fivethirtyeight.com)|February 24, 2021|FiveThirtyEight

For instance, Boston and Indianapolis told us they spent about the same amount of money — around $13 million — in the 10-year period we looked at.
Cities Spend Millions On Police Misconduct Every Year. Here’s Why It’s So Difficult to Hold Departments Accountable.|Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux (Amelia.Thomson-DeVeaux@abc.com)|February 22, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
A tense commute to work in Houston will start to resemble a tense commute in Boston or New York City.
Will Texas Stay Texan?|David Fontana|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A year before he had similarly arrived with news of the Boston Tea Party.
The Bars That Made America Great|Nina Strochlic|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Edgar was invited to study at the Berkeley School of Music in Boston and at NYU in New York City.
Cuban Hip-Hop Was Born in Alamar|Daniel Levin|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The trick has been to create nonstops from cities like Boston that were under-served.
Goodbye, Bahamas. Hello, Havana!|Clive Irving|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Wahlberg grew up the youngest of nine children in a broken home in the rough Dorchester section of Boston.
Mark Wahlberg’s Pardon Plea: A Look Back At His Troubling, Violent, and Racist Rap Sheet|Marlow Stern|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Some weeks after, the creditor chanced to be in Boston, and in walking up Tremont street, encountered his enterprising friend.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
Thus far Boston banks have received more benefits from this bank than have the other banks in this district.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
John Collins Warren, a distinguished Boston physician, died, aged 77.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
John Pickering, an eminent American philologist, died at Boston, aged 60.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
His mind had gone back to the time when he and Guilford had so nearly faced death in among the Boston mountains.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn

British Dictionary definitions for Boston (1 of 2)

boston

/ (ˈbɒstən) /

noun

a card game for four, played with two packs

mainly US a slow gliding dance, a variation of the waltz

British Dictionary definitions for Boston (2 of 2)

Boston

/ (ˈbɒstən) /

noun

a port in E Massachusetts, the state capital. Pop: 581 616 (2003 est)

a port in E England, in SE Lincolnshire. Pop: 35 124 (2001)

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

Cultural definitions for Boston

Boston

Capital of Massachusetts and largest city in the state.

notes for Boston

Site of the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party.

notes for Boston

Boston is often called “the Hub” for “Hub of the Universe,” or “Beantown” after Boston baked beans.