Nova Scotia

American  

[noh-vuh skoh-shuh] / ˈnoʊ və ˈskoʊ ʃə /

noun

1. a peninsula and province in SE Canada: once a part of the French province of Acadia. 21,068 sq. mi. (54,565 sq. km). Halifax.

2. Informal. Nova Scotia salmon.

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Nova Scotia British  

/ ˈnəʊvə ˈskəʊʃə /

noun

1. a peninsula in E Canada, between the Gulf of St Lawrence and the Bay of Fundy

2. a province of E Canada, consisting of the Nova Scotia peninsula and Cape Breton Island: first settled by the French as Acadia. Capital: Halifax. Pop: 936 960 (2004 est). Area: 52 841 sq km (20 402 sq miles)

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Nova Scotia Cultural  

1. Province in eastern Canada, including a peninsula to the east of New Brunswick and Cape Breton Island, as well as several smaller adjacent islands. With New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia makes up the Maritime Provinces. Halifax is its capital and largest city.

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French settlers, who called the area Acadia, were expelled by the British in the 1750s. Many of the exiled Acadians settled in Louisiana and became the ancestors of today's Cajuns.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Nova Scotian
  adjective

Example Sentences

Bank of Montreal, Bank of Nova Scotia and National Bank of Canada kicked off earnings season for Canada’s largest lenders with plans to lift their dividends.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

Bank of Nova Scotia bumped up its dividend as it logged a lift in fiscal second-quarter profit on the back of a lower credit-loss provision and growth across its segments.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

If you are looking for a riskier bet with a bigger yield, check out Bank of Nova Scotia, commonly known as Scotiabank.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

"Nova Scotia has the highest tides in the world -- when we're working there, we're racing against the tide, when the ocean comes back in," says Mann.

From Science Daily • Feb. 11, 2026

To ask your big sister to be your ally is like asking Nova Scotia to go into battle with you.

From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt