Chicago

American  

[shi-kah-goh, -kaw-] / ʃɪˈkɑ goʊ, -ˈkɔ- /

noun

1. Judy Judy Cohen, born 1939, U.S. artist, author, and educator.

2. a city in NE Illinois, on Lake Michigan: second largest city in the U.S.

3. a river formed in Chicago that flows through downtown and, as engineered, to the Des Plaines River: part of the Illinois Waterway.

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Chicago British  

/ ʃɪˈkɑːɡəʊ /

noun

1. a port in NE Illinois, on Lake Michigan: the third largest city in the US; it is a major railway and air traffic centre. Pop: 2 869 121 (2003 est)

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Chicago Cultural  

1. Largest city in Illinois; located on Lake Michigan.

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Discover More

Carl Sandburg, in his poem “Chicago,” called the city the “Hog Butcher for the World” because of Chicago's heavy involvement in the meatpacking industry.

During the time of Prohibition, Chicago was controlled by gangsters, Al Capone being the most notorious. Gangster warfare continued long after this particularly violent period.

Originally called the “Windy City” because the city bragged about the 1893 World Expo that was held there. The term has since come to refer to the strong northern winds that blow off the lake in the winter.

Chicago's downtown is referred to as the “Loop” because it is enclosed by elevated railways, called the “El.”

For many years the second largest city in the United States, before being displaced by Los Angeles, and therefore referred to as the “Second City.”

Example Sentences

After Angel Reese lamented the Chicago Sky’s losses last season, the team traded her to the Atlanta Dream for a pair of first-round draft picks.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

Reese also shared a message to Chicago fans on Instagram on Monday after her trade was announced.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

The FAA said United’s expansion will stress the Chicago airport’s runway, terminal and air-traffic control systems.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

Suzanne Wille and I finally met in person in a strangely perfect place and time: The Art Institute of Chicago, the city’s most famous museum, during Christmas week.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

Ferdie Jencken’s miraculous abilities were predictably covered in Spiritualist papers such as Medium and Daybreak, but also city newspapers in Chicago, Washington, DC, and New York.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock