lower 48

American  

[loh-er fawr-tee-eyt] / ˈloʊ ər ˈfɔr tiˈeɪt /

Or Lower 48

noun

Informal.

1. the conterminous United States.

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Etymology

Origin of lower 48

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Fish and Wildlife Service delisted most wolves in the Lower 48.

From Los Angeles Times

Even seeing a grizzly bear is pretty uncommon in the lower 48 states.

From Los Angeles Times

MacLeod was jammed against a potbellied stove with a metal chimney that stuck out through the roof, making it the highest point in the Lower 48 states.

From Los Angeles Times

And, for her efforts, Alaskans are poised to be better protected from the effects of the Republican austerity budget than Americans in the lower 48.

From Salon

A California teen who walked off a cliff while experiencing altitude-related hallucinations on the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states has begun a slow recovery but remains in a medically induced coma, his family said.

From Los Angeles Times