Kentucky
Americannoun
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a state in the east central United States. 40,395 sq. mi. (104,625 sq. km). Frankfort. KY (for use with zip code), Ken., Ky.
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a river flowing northwest from eastern Kentucky to the Ohio River. 259 miles (415 km) long.
noun
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Abbreviation: Ken., Ky., KY. a state of the S central US: consists of an undulating plain in the west, the Bluegrass region in the centre, the Tennessee and Ohio River basins in the southwest, and the Appalachians in the east. Capital: Frankfort. Pop: 4 117 827 (2003 est). Area: 102 693 sq km (39 650 sq miles)
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a river in central Kentucky, rising in the Cumberland Mountains and flowing northwest to the Ohio River. Length: 417 km (259 miles)
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The state is known for the breeding of race horses. The Kentucky Derby, a famous horse race, is held every year in Louisville.
Kentucky bluegrass is a type of folk music that originated in the southern United States. The music is named for a bluish-tinged grass that grows in Kentucky.
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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 prolific and acclaimed writer and activist used his liberal beliefs and his agrarian roots in Kentucky to craft novels, poems and essays connecting the natural world to humankind.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
I feel like we’ve done that better in Kentucky than most places.
From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2026
In 2009, Brent Seales at the University of Kentucky became the first researcher to make micro-CT scans of a Herculaneum scroll, one belonging to the Institut de France.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026
TikTok has until now settled cases against it that were headed for trial, including a Los Angeles lawsuit brought by a young woman and a suit from a Kentucky school district.
From Barron's ● Sep. 25, 2026
Encouraged by Dr. Ganer and the young people she met from USC, Terryl applied after two years at Cypress to a bunch of colleges: George Washington and Georgetown, the University of Kentucky, UCLA, and USC.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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.
