Hanoi

[ ha-noi, huh- ]

/ hæˈnɔɪ, hə- /

noun

a city in and the capital of Vietnam, in the N part, on the Songka River.

Definition for hanoi (2 of 3)

Vietnam

or Vi·et Nam

[ vee-et-nahm, -nam, vyet-, vee-it- ]

/ viˌɛtˈnɑm, -ˈnæm, ˌvyɛt-, ˌvi ɪt- /

noun

Official name Socialist Republic of Vietnam. a country in SE Asia, comprising the former states of Annam, Tonkin, and Cochin-China: formerly part of French Indochina; divided into North Vietnam and South Vietnam during the Vietnam War but now reunified. 126,104 sq. mi. (326,609 sq. km). Capital: Hanoi.Compare North Vietnam, South Vietnam.

Vietnam War.

Definition for hanoi (3 of 3)

French Indochina

noun

an area in SE Asia, formerly a French colonial federation including Cochin-China, the protectorates of Annam, Cambodia, Tonkin, and Laos, and the leased territory of Kwangchowan: now comprising the three independent states of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Capital: Hanoi.

Compare Indochina.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hanoi

On October 26 they were assigned to attack a power plant supplying the North Vietnamese capital, Hanoi.
Russia’s Missiles Stung the World Long Before MH17|Clive Irving|July 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
During the bus ride from Hanoi's airport I blurted out the whole story to Joanne.
The Surprisingly Good Flight 370 Novel: Author Scott Maka Defends His Controversial Book|Tim Teeman|June 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Third, we also know from the archives in Moscow, Havana and Hanoi, that Kennedy was right to resist his hawks.
JFK’s Weak Body And Strong Spirit|James Blight, Janet Lang|November 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He was one of the most grievously injured pilots to arrive in Hanoi.
John McCain Pays Tribute to Bud Day|Josh Rogin|July 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Before leaving the country, Jane went to see the air defense installation on the outskirts of Hanoi.
Jane Fonda’s New Biography: 14 Juicy Bits|Lizzie Crocker|August 23, 2011|DAILY BEAST
By their aid the invading French were driven from Hanoi and forced back in defeat.
Famous Men and Great Events of the Nineteenth Century|Charles Morris
But his most enduring monument in Hanoi is the fine exposition buildings.
A Wayfarer in China|Elizabeth Kendall
I was at Hanoi, residing in a house situated in a narrow avenue and next to the barracks.
Indo-China and Its Primitive People|Henry Baudesson
Hanoi, capital of Tonking, 10;one of the finest cities in the Far East, 13.
A Wayfarer in China|Elizabeth Kendall
We heard something of it from an old Siamese in Hanoi, but we never put much trust in it.
My Strangest Case|Guy Boothby

British Dictionary definitions for hanoi (1 of 3)

Hanoi

/ (hæˈnɔɪ) /

noun

the capital of Vietnam, on the Red River: became capital of Tonkin in 1802, of French Indochina in 1887, of Vietnam in 1945, and of North Vietnam (1954–75); university (1917); industrial centre. Pop: 4 147 000 (2005 est)

British Dictionary definitions for hanoi (2 of 3)

French Indochina

noun

the territories of SE Asia that were colonized by France and held mostly until 1954: included Cochin China, Annam, and Tonkin (now largely Vietnam), Cambodia, Laos, and Kuang-Chou Wan (returned to China in 1945, now Zhanjiang)

British Dictionary definitions for hanoi (3 of 3)

Vietnam

Viet Nam

/ (ˌvjɛtˈnæm) /

noun

a republic in SE Asia: an ancient empire, conquered by France in the 19th century; occupied by Japan (1940–45) when the Communist-led Vietminh began resistance operations that were continued against restored French rule after 1945. In 1954 the country was divided along the 17th parallel, establishing North Vietnam (under the Vietminh) and South Vietnam (under French control), the latter becoming the independent Republic of Vietnam in 1955. From 1959 the country was dominated by war between the Communist Vietcong, supported by North Vietnam, and the South Vietnamese government; increasing numbers of US forces were brought to the aid of the South Vietnamese army until a peace agreement (1973) led to the withdrawal of US troops; further fighting led to the eventual defeat of the South Vietnamese government in March 1975 and in 1976 an elected National Assembly proclaimed the reunification of the country. Official language: Vietnamese. Religion: Buddhist majority. Currency: dong. Capital: Hanoi. Pop: 92 477 857 (2013 est). Area: 331 041 sq km (127 816 sq miles)Official name: Socialist Republic of Vietnam

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 hanoi (1 of 2)

Hanoi

city in northern Vietnam, from Vietnamese Hà Nôi, literally "River Inside," from hà "river" + nôi "inside." So called in reference to its situation in a bend of the Red River. Known 18c. as Dong Kinh "Eastern Capital," which was corrupted by Europeans into Tonkin, Tonquin, and that name was used in the French colonial period to refer to the entire region and extended to the gulf to the east.

Word Origin and History for hanoi (1 of 2)

Vietnam

from Vietnamese Viet, the people's name + nam "south." Vietnam War attested by 1963.

Culture definitions for hanoi (1 of 2)

Hanoi

[ (ha-noy) ]

Capital of Vietnam, located in the northern part of the country.

Note

It was the scene of heavy fighting between French and Vietnamese communist forces from 1946 to 1954.

Note

It became the capital of North Vietnam in 1954, when the French evacuated the city.

Note

During the Vietnam War, the city suffered heavy bombing by the United States.

Culture definitions for hanoi (2 of 2)

Vietnam

[ (vee-et-nahm, vee-et-nam) ]

Republic in Southeast Asia, bordered by Cambodia and Laos to the west, China to the north, and the South China Sea (an arm of the Pacific Ocean) to the east and south.

Note

Vietnam was under the control of France from the second half of the nineteenth century until World War II, when it was occupied by the Japanese. The country became an autonomous state in 1946. France's attempts to reassert control resulted in the French Indochina War (1946–1954), in which the French were defeated.

Note

The Geneva Conference of 1954 divided Vietnam into North Vietnam, controlled by communists, and South Vietnam, controlled by noncommunists.

Note

In the Vietnam War of 1954–1975, South Vietnam, which was aided by the United States, fought communist insurgents, who were aided by North Vietnam. The war ended when the communists overran the south in 1975. The country was reunified in 1976.

Note

American involvement in the Vietnam War was strongly protested in the United States.

Note

Great numbers of Vietnamese refugees, known as boat people, fled the country in the aftermath of the war.

Note

Between 1978 and 1979, Vietnam invaded Cambodia and installed a puppet government.