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Missouri

American  
[mi-zoor-ee, -zoor-uh] / mɪˈzʊər i, -ˈzʊər ə /

noun

plural

Missouris,

plural

Missouri
  1. a state in the central United States. 69,674 sq. mi. (180,455 sq. km). Jefferson City. MO (for use with zip code), Mo.

  2. a river flowing from SW Montana into the Mississippi N of St. Louis, Mo. 2,723 miles (4,382 km) long.

  3. a member of a North American Indian tribe belonging to the Siouan linguistic stock, located on the Missouri River in early historic times and now extinct as a tribe.


idioms

  1. from Missouri, unwilling to accept something without proof; skeptical.

    I'm from Missouri—you'll have to show me that you're right.

Missouri British  
/ mɪˈzʊərɪ /

noun

  1. Abbreviation: Mo.   MO.  a state of the central US: consists of rolling prairies in the north, the Ozark Mountains in the south, and part of the Mississippi flood plain in the southeast, with the Mississippi forming the E border; chief US producer of lead and barytes. Capital: Jefferson City. Pop: 5 704 484 (2003 est). Area: 178 699 sq km (68 995 sq miles)

  2. a river in the W and central US, rising in SW Montana: flows north, east, and southeast to join the Mississippi above St Louis; the longest river in North America; chief tributary of the Mississippi. Length: 3970 km (2466 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

Missouri Cultural  
  1. State in the central United States bordered by Iowa to the north; Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee to the east; Arkansas to the south; and Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska to the west. Its capital is Jefferson City, and its largest city is St. Louis.


Missouri More Idioms  
  1. see from Missouri.


Other Word Forms

  • Missourian adjective

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.

He received his degree from the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

For Grayrocks Dam, the committee granted an exemption but required the Missouri Basin Power Project to preserve habitat and manage water to reduce harm to the cranes.

From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026

As a child dancer, performance was Slayyyter’s youth, and as a college dropout from the University of Missouri, she turned to SoundCloud to share the music blossoming from her at-home recording sessions.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

Originally from Cleveland, Allison received a bachelor’s in journalism from the University of Missouri.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

I fell asleep as Cade drove through Missouri.

From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith