French Maroc. Spanish Marruecos. a kingdom in NW Africa: formed from a sultanate that was divided into two protectorates (French Morocco and Spanish Morocco) and an international zone. 172,104 sq. mi. (445,749 sq. km). Capital: Rabat.Compare Tangier Zone.
a fine soft leather made from goatskins, used for bookbinding, shoes, etc
(as modifier)morocco leather
Word Origin for morocco
C17: after Morocco, where it was originally made
Morocco
noun
a kingdom in NW Africa, on the Mediterranean and the Atlantic: conquered by the Arabs in about 683, who introduced Islam; at its height under Berber dynasties (11th–13th centuries); became a French protectorate in 1912 and gained independence in 1956. It is mostly mountainous, with the Atlas Mountains in the centre and the Rif range along the Mediterranean coast, with the Sahara in the south and southeast; an important exporter of phosphates. Official language: Arabic; Berber and French are also widely spoken. Official religion: (Sunni) Muslim. Currency: dirham. Capital: Rabat. Pop: 32 649 130 (2013 est). Area: 458 730 sq km (177 117 sq miles)French name: Maroc
"kind of fine flexible leather," 1630s, short for Morocco leather, from Morocco, the country in northwest Africa, where the tanned leather first was made.
Morocco
country in northwest Africa, from Italian, from Berber Marrakesh (properly the name of the city of Marrakesh), from Arabic Maghrib-al-Aqca "Extreme West." Cf. French Maroc, German Marokko. In English, the first vowel has been altered, apparently by influence of Moor. Related: Moroccan.
