Dahomey
Americannoun
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former name of Benin.
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Also called the Kingdom of Dahomey. a former kingdom in what is now southern Benin that existed from around 1600 to 1900.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Dahomey
First recorded in 1780–90; from Fon dã homè; literally, “belly of Da, snake's belly”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Dahomey, also called the Fon, in West Africa traditionally believed that women had three souls and men had four.
From Scientific American • Jun. 14, 2023
Jean Josué Pierre Dahomey, Haiti’s ambassador to France, said the tribute to Louverture should also be “a testament to France’s obligation of solidarity toward Haiti.”
From New York Times • Apr. 27, 2023
In “The Woman King,” Viola Davis is the head of the Agojie, an all-female unit of warriors who protected the West African kingdom of Dahomey in the 19th century.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 20, 2023
“The Woman King” stars Viola Davis as the leader of the Agojie, a band of female warriors who defended the West African kingdom of Dahomey in the early 19th century.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 16, 2022
And for myself, I lie in my hammock at night and whisper the names to the darkness: Dahomey, Taghaza, Sankore, Accra, the ancient realm of Songhai.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
