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Calcutta

[kal-kuht-uh]
noun
  1. former name of Kolkata (but sometimes still used).
  2. (sometimes lowercase) Also called Calcutta pool. a form of betting pool for a competition or tournament, as golf or auto racing, in which gamblers bid for participating contestants in an auction, the proceeds from which are put into a pool for distribution, according to a prearranged scale of percentages, to those who selected winners.
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West Bengal

noun
  1. a state in E India: formerly part of the province of Bengal. 33,805 sq. mi. (87,555 sq. km). Capital: Calcutta.Compare Bengal(def 1).
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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for calcutta

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • Arrived at Calcutta, the question arose: "What shall we do with him?"

    Brave and Bold

    Horatio Alger

  • He did not again catch sight of Captain Rushton while in Calcutta.

    Brave and Bold

    Horatio Alger

  • I found him in Calcutta, and I have brought him home with me.

    Brave and Bold

    Horatio Alger

  • I wouldn't advise you to put on so many airs, just because you've been to Calcutta.

    Brave and Bold

    Horatio Alger

  • I had little or no money, Calcutta being no place for economy.

    Ned Myers

    James Fenimore Cooper

British Dictionary definitions for calcutta

Calcutta

noun
  1. the former official name (still widely used) of Kolkata
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West Bengal

noun
  1. a state of E India, on the Bay of Bengal: formed in 1947 from the Hindu area of Bengal; additional territories added in 1950 (Cooch Behar), 1954 (Chandernagor), and 1956 (part of Bihar); mostly low-lying and crossed by the Hooghly River. Capital: Kolkata (Calcutta). Pop: 80 221 171 (2001). Area: 88 752 sq km (34 260 sq miles)
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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 calcutta

Calcutta

city in eastern India, named for Hindu goddess Kali.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
calcutta in Culture

Calcutta

Largest city in India, located in the eastern part of the country on the Hooghly River.

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Note

Calcutta is one of the largest cities in the world and suffers from poverty, overcrowding, and unemployment.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.