Also Tripolitania one of the former Barbary States of N Africa: later a province of Turkey; now a part of Libya.
a seaport in and the capital of Libya, in the NW part.
a seaport in N Lebanon, on the Mediterranean.
(lowercase) any of several siliceous substances, as rottenstone and infusorial earth, used chiefly in polishing.
Arabic name: Tarabulus el Gharb. Ancient name: Oea. the capital and chief port of Libya, in the northwest on the Mediterranean: founded by Phoenicians in about the 7th century bc ; the only city that has survived of the three (Oea, Leptis Magna, and Sabratha) that formed the African Tripolis ("three cities"); fishing and manufacturing centre. Pop: 1 223 300 (2002 est)
Arabic name: Tarabulus esh Sham. Ancient name: Tripolis. a port in N Lebanon, on the Mediterranean: the second largest town in Lebanon; taken by the Crusaders in 1109 after a siege of five years; oil-refining and manufacturing centre. Pop: 212 000 (2005 est)
The city dates back to the seventh century b.c.
United States war planes attacked Tripoli in 1986 in retaliation for Libyan terrorist acts against American citizens.
C17: named after Tripoli , in Libya or in Lebanon
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
No, these were good old-fashioned pirates, sponsored by the Barbary states: the kingdom of Morocco was independent, while Algiers, Tripoli and Tunis owed a loose allegiance to the Ottoman Empire.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
He said the region housing the capital, Tripoli, and a large proportion of the Libyan population was in "immense need" for infrastructure.
From Barron's ● May 26, 2026
Warships involved include the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, the USS Tripoli amphibious assault ship and several guided-missile destroyers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026
On Saturday, the USS Tripoli, a naval warship, arrived in the Middle East carrying about 3,500 sailors and Marines and a transport of fighter planes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 30, 2026
On June 22, 1893, during maneuvers off Tripoli, this marvel of naval technology had been struck by the H.M.S.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
It is the chief ingredient of sand, sandstone, quartzite, chert, diatomaceous earth, and tripoli.
From The Economic Aspect of Geology by Leith, C. K. (Charles Kenneth)
Primrose should try a little tripoli and water upon the surface of the table.
From The Girl's Own Paper, Vol. VIII, No. 357, October 30, 1886 by Various
Upper Miocene.—Calcareous marl; gypsum, etc.; sulphur embedded in calcareous limestone; silicious limestone; tripoli, containing fossils of fish, insects' eggs, etc.
From Scientific American Supplement, No. 647, May 26, 1888 by Various
Fish and insects, which are frequently found in strata of tripoli, which lie under sulphur beds, induce the belief that lakes formerly existed in Sicily.
From Scientific American Supplement, No. 647, May 26, 1888 by Various
The polishing may afterwards be completed with a bit of serge or cloth, without tripoli.
From Young's Demonstrative Translation of Scientific Secrets by Young, Daniel
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.
