old country

American  

noun

1. the original home country of an immigrant or a person's ancestors, especially a European country.

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old country British  

noun

1. the country of origin of an immigrant or an immigrant's ancestors

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• old-country
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of old country

First recorded in 1775–85

Example Sentences

Growing up, Jane Ziegelman often heard stories about the old country from family members gathered at her grandmother’s home in Queens, N.Y.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

The players were immigrants or the sons of immigrants, playing a game that was considered a national pastime in the old country but little more than a waste of time in the new one.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 24, 2024

“I take it back to the old country boy saying that you can’t put 10 pounds of potatoes in a 5-pound sack,” Nelson said.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 15, 2024

"It's like you are back in time, especially when you get into the old country roads," he says.

From BBC • Dec. 7, 2023

The phone kept ringing, relatives from the old country calling with congratulations for the old man.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez