Chennai

American

[chen-ahi] / ˈtʃɛn ɑɪ /

noun

a seaport in and the capital of Tamil Nadu state, in SE India, on the Bay of Bengal.

Chennai British

/ tʃɪˈnaɪ /

noun

Former name: Madras. a port in SE India, capital of Tamil Nadu, on the Bay of Bengal: founded in 1639 by the English East India Company as Fort St George ; traditional burial place of St Thomas; university (1857). Pop: 4 216 268 (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

Example Sentences

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Chennai

Returning to the transportation example, the original DHZ method could efficiently estimate sufficiently long journeys, such as the route between Delhi and Chennai.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2026

To pursue opportunities in India, his association now has 140 employees in Chennai.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

Thenmozhi, the bureau's Southern Zone Deputy Director, told BBC Tamil that it had written to wildlife officials in Chennai asking them to verify documents and take appropriate action.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Officials said the animal was being kept at the home of a relative of Vikram in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu state.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

When Viju’s father was in Chennai, Neel could remember watching their friend’s hair become straw-colored from hunger.

From "Tiger Boy" by Mitali Perkins

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023