Harlem

[ hahr-luh m ]

/ ˈhɑr ləm /

noun

a section of New York City, in the NE part of Manhattan.

a tidal river in New York City, between the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx, which, with Spuyten Duyvil Creek, connects the Hudson and East rivers. 8 miles (13 km) long.

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

Examples from the Web for harlem

After raising a cool $2m last night, Will met the President today in DC while Kate visited a Harlem youth project.
Kate Middleton and Prince William's $2m Dinner|Tom Sykes|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Banks grew up far from the trailer park—up on 152nd St. and Amsterdam in Harlem.
Azealia Banks Opens Up About Her Journey from Stripping to Rap Stardom|Marlow Stern|November 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And I think some of my favorite memories are just being all together in that house in Harlem.
All Eyes on Anjelica Huston: The Legendary Actress on Love, Abuse, and Jack Nicholson|Alex Suskind|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Once back in his Harlem apartment, he closely monitored his condition, taking his temperature twice a day.
Why New York’s Ebola Case Will Hurt Infected Patients Everywhere|Abby Haglage|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Flamekeepers Hat Club is located at 220 St. Nicholas Avenue at 121st Street in Harlem.
The Harlem Hat Shop You Have to Visit|Justin Jones|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We had got as far as the Harlem River when we entered one place and looked about while we waited for someone in charge to appear.
The Social Gangster|Arthur B. Reeve
"That is the man that drove us out to Harlem last night," I answered.
Seek and Find|Oliver Optic
In another case we found an epidemic up in Harlem to be due to a typhoid carrier on a remote farm in Connecticut.
The Silent Bullet|Arthur B. Reeve
On the 1st of July he arrived in town, and was met by the boys, who instantly carried him to Harlem to show him the boat.
Harper's Young People, May 10, 1881|Various
Vanderbilt made enough money out of this effort to crush him to pay for all the stock he owned in the Harlem Road.
Great Fortunes, and How They Were Made|James D. McCabe, Jr.

British Dictionary definitions for harlem

Harlem

/ (ˈhɑːləm) /

noun

a district of New York City, in NE Manhattan: now largely a Black ghetto

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 harlem

Harlem

Manhattan district, used figuratively for "African-American culture" from 1934. The N.Y. community was founded 1658 and originally named Nieuw Haarlem for Haarlem in Netherlands, which probably is from Dutch haar "height" + lem "silt," in reference to its position on a slight elevation on the banks of the Spaarne River.

Culture definitions for harlem

Harlem

Neighborhood of Manhattan.

Note

Mostly populated by African-Americans, Harlem has long been a center of black culture.

Note

During the 1920s, Harlem was the site of a great upsurge in black literature, music, and theater known as the Harlem Renaissance.

Note

The area now contains a large Puerto Rican population and, after a period of economic decay, has experienced a revitalization.