Memphis

¹ American  

[mem-fis] / ˈmɛm fɪs /

noun

1. a port in SW Tennessee, on the Mississippi.

2. a ruined city in Lower Egypt, on the Nile, S of Cairo: the ancient capital of Egypt.

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Memphis ² American  

[mem-fis] / ˈmɛm fɪs /

noun

1. a group of international designers and architects, formed in the 1980s and based in Milan, whose work is characterized by the use of bold colors, geometric shapes, and unconventional, often playful, designs.

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adjective

1. of or relating to this group or its style of design.

Memphis British  

/ ˈmɛmfɪs /

noun

1. a port in SW Tennessee, on the Mississippi River: the largest city in the state; a major cotton and timber market; Memphis State University (1909). Pop: 645 978 (2003 est)

2. a ruined city in N Egypt, the ancient centre of Lower Egypt, on the Nile: administrative and artistic centre, sacred to the worship of Ptah

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Memphis Cultural  

1. Largest city in Tennessee; located on the Mississippi River.

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Etymology

Origin of Memphis

The name was allegedly suggested to Ettore Sottsass, one of the group's founders, by the Bob Dylan song “Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again” on the evening of December 11, 1980

Example Sentences

Analysts said the deal with Anthropic for the computing capacity at the Colossus 1 data center near Memphis, Tenn., could bring Musk a few billion dollars a year.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke has died at the age of 29, the NBA team has confirmed.

From BBC • May 12, 2026

The Colossus facility in Memphis has been a source of controversy.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

He played just 54 games in two seasons with Memphis and Washington, two teams that were closer to the draft lottery than any home-court advantage.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

Memphis was not a small town like Jackson; it was urban and I felt that no one would hold the trivial trouble I had had in Jackson against me.

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright