Bristol

American  

[bris-tl] / ˈbrɪs tl /

noun

1. a seaport in Avon, in southwestern England, on the Avon River near its confluence with the Severn estuary.

2. a city in central Connecticut.

3. a township in southeastern Pennsylvania, on the Delaware River.

4. a deepwater seaport in eastern Rhode Island.

5. a city in northeastern Tennessee, contiguous to but politically independent of Bristol, Virginia.

6. a city in southwestern Virginia, contiguous to but politically independent of Bristol, Tennessee.

7. a bi-state region comprising the twin cities of Bristol, Tennessee, and Bristol, Virginia.

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Bristol British  

/ ˈbrɪstəl /

noun

1. a port and industrial city in SW England, mainly in Bristol unitary authority, on the River Avon seven miles from its mouth on the Bristol Channel: a major port, trading with America, in the 17th and 18th centuries; the modern port consists chiefly of docks at Avonmouth and Portishead; noted for the Clifton Suspension Bridge (designed by I. K. Brunel, 1834) over the Avon gorge; Bristol university (1909) and University of the West of England (1992). Pop: 420 556 (2001)

2. a unitary authority in SW England, created in 1996 from part of Avon county. Pop: 391 500 (2003 est). Area: 110 sq km (42 sq miles)

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Example Sentences

Carl Bembridge, from Bristol, began an apprenticeship at Redfield's Cohesion Hair as a "shy" schoolboy, having undergone 11 operations due to the bone condition rickets.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

Bristol West paid out $52,268 to the group and an additional $34,000 to pay off a loan on one of the cars.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026

But having signed for Bristol City on a two-year deal after leaving Chelsea last summer, she is still around and still showing her class at international level.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Bristol lock Delaney Burns and Saracens prop Liz Crake have been added to the squad as cover.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

At Sixth and Vine the detectives came to a hotel called the Bristol and discovered that on Saturday, September 29, 1894, a party identified as “A. E. Cook” had checked in, with three children.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson