Humboldt

American

[huhm-bohlt, hoom-bawlt] / ˈhʌm boʊlt, ˈhʊm bɔlt /

noun

Friedrich Heinrich Alexander Baron von 1769–1859, German naturalist, writer, and statesman.
his brother (Karl) Wilhelm Baron von, 1767–1835, German philologist and diplomat.
a town in NW Tennessee.
a river in NE Nevada, flowing W and SW to the Humboldt Sink. 290 miles (467 km) long.

Humboldt British

/ ˈhʊmbɔlt, ˈhʌmbəʊlt /

noun

Baron ( Friedrich Heinrich ) Alexander von (alɛˈksandər fɔn). 1769–1859, German scientist, who made important scientific explorations in Central and South America (1799–1804). In Kosmos (1845–62), he provided a comprehensive description of the physical universe
his brother, Baron ( Karl ) Wilhelm von (ˈvɪlhɛlm fɔn). 1767–1835, German philologist and educational reformer

"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

Humboldt Scientific

/ hŭm′bōlt′,hm′bôlt′ /

German naturalist and writer who explored South America, Cuba, and Mexico (1799–1804) and recorded a wide range of species, particularly plants, and attempted to explain their geographic distribution with respect to their environment. His work laid the foundation the science of ecology.

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.

"That and its complementary current, the Humboldt current, the cold-water current, have been a subject of a lot of examination over the years," he adds.

From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026

During one voyage during the 1930s, when the ship was away from Britain for 19 months, the crew examined the Humboldt and El Nino currents.

From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026

When they reached the Humboldt Sink in Nevada, Cornwall in a fateful decision decided to split with the party.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

They must conduct due diligence to determine whether clients subsequently resell such items to Russia, according to Felix Helmstädter, a German sanctions expert and lecturer in law at Humboldt University in Berlin.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026

“I noticed you talking with Humboldt Koper outside the smoking lounge last night.”

From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023