Palmerston

American  

[pah-mer-stuhn] / ˈpɑ mər stən /

noun

1. Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount, 1784–1865, British statesman: prime minister 1855–58, 1859–65.

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Palmerston ¹ British  

/ ˈpɑːməstən /

noun

1. the former name (1869–1911) of Darwin 1

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Palmerston ² British  

/ ˈpɑːməstən /

noun

1. Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston. 1784–1865, British statesman; foreign secretary (1830–34; 1835–41; 1846–51); prime minister (1855–58; 1859–65). His talent was for foreign affairs, in which he earned a reputation as a British nationalist and for high-handedness and gunboat diplomacy

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Example Sentences

On Saturday came sad news that Palmerston, a black-and-white cat, once mouser to the Foreign Office and "Diplocat extraordinaire", had passed away in Bermuda where he retired in 2020.

From Barron's • Feb. 15, 2026

Speaking to the BBC from the New Zealand city of Palmerston North, Peter Satterthwaite is unequivocal.

From BBC • Jun. 27, 2025

Meanwhile, the Foreign Office enlisted a chief mouser called Palmerston in 2016.

From BBC • Jun. 18, 2025

Daniel Day, 29, of Palmerston Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, has been charged with causing a public nuisance and trespassing on a protected site after climbing onto the clock tower, the Metropolitan Police said.

From BBC • Mar. 9, 2025

Even his reform speeches are as Disraeli once said very happily of Lord Palmerston, rather speeches about Reform than orations on behalf of it.

From Modern Leaders: Being a Series of Biographical Sketches by McCarthy, Justin