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Kentucky

American  
[kuhn-tuhk-ee] / kənˈtʌk i /

noun

  1. 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.

  2. a river flowing northwest from eastern Kentucky to the Ohio River. 259 miles (415 km) long.


Kentucky British  
/ kɛnˈtʌkɪ /

noun

  1. 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)

  2. a river in central Kentucky, rising in the Cumberland Mountains and flowing northwest to the Ohio River. Length: 417 km (259 miles)

"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

Kentucky Cultural  
  1. State in the east-central United States bordered by Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to the east; Tennessee to the south; and Missouri to the west. Its capital is Frankfort. Louisville is its largest city.


Discover More

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

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In 2013, multiple media outlets accused Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul of plagiarizing in his speeches, newspaper column and his 2012 book from a variety of sources, including Wikipedia.

From Salon Aug. 23, 2026

Canada sends about 70% of its exports to the US, and the country is the top trading partner for a number of US states, with Michigan, Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio among the most exposed.

From BBC Aug. 22, 2026

Dr Stephanie Prost, a researcher in older adults and prison settings at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, told the BBC that most prisons have an inmate like Smith.

From BBC Aug. 19, 2026

In a similar case in 1980, the Supreme Court ruled that the display of the Ten Commandments in schools in Kentucky was unconstitutional.

From Barron's Aug. 17, 2026

Rufus’s gun was a flintlock, a long slender Kentucky rifle.

From "Kindred" by Octavia Butler

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