Port-au-Prince
[pawrt-oh-prins, pohrt-; French pawr-toh-prans]
- a seaport in and the capital of Haiti, in the S part.
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Haiti
[hey-tee]
- Formerly Hayti. a republic in the West Indies occupying the W part of the island of Hispaniola. 10,714 sq. mi. (27,750 sq. km). Capital: Port-au-Prince.
- Also Hayti. a former name of Hispaniola.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for port-au-prince
Contemporary Examples
Yes, there were gangs in Port-au-Prince fighting low-intensity turf wars in the slums.
But as the Associated Press correspondent in Port-au-Prince, I quickly realized that there was more to the story.
Even in Port-au-Prince, the capital of the overcentralized country, public services are unreliable at best.
It made one want to rush out and open a boutique in Port-au-Prince.
Word quickly spread around Port-au-Prince: "The President is back."
Historical Examples
The palace, like every other building in Port-au-Prince, consisted of one storey only.
The Hour and the ManHarriet Martineau
The city of Port-au-prince, St. Domingo, destroyed by an earthquake.
The Every Day Book of History and ChronologyJoel Munsell
The route from Port-au-Prince for two-thirds of the way is along the bay to Gonaves.
HaitiJ. Dryden Kuser
Janvier is a man who formerly lived in Port-au-Prince in the house where he was found.
HaitiJ. Dryden Kuser
He was going up to Port-au-Prince to take his turn of duty with his regiment.
Tom Cringle's LogMichael Scott
Port-au-Prince
- the capital and chief port of Haiti, in the south on the Gulf of Gonaïves: founded in 1749 by the French; university (1944). Pop: 2 090 000 (2005 est)
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Haiti
- a republic occupying the W part of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean, the E part consisting of the Dominican Republic: ceded by Spain to France in 1697 and became one of the richest colonial possessions in the world, with numerous plantations; slaves rebelled under Toussaint L'Ouverture in 1793 and defeated the French; taken over by the US (1915–41) after long political and economic chaos; under the authoritarian regimes of François Duvalier ('Papa Doc') (1957–71) and his son Jean-Claude Duvalier ('Baby Doc') (1971–86); returned to civilian rule in 1990, but another coup in 1991 brought military rule, which was ended in 1994 with US intervention. Official languages: French and Haitian creole. Religions: Roman Catholic and voodoo. Currency: gourde. Capital: Port-au-Prince. Pop: 9 893 934 (2013 est). Area: 27 749 sq km (10 714 sq miles)
- a former name for Hispaniola
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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
Word Origin and History for port-au-prince
Haiti
from Arawak haiti "land of mountains," and probably originally the name of the whole island.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Haiti
Republic in the West Indies, on the western third of the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Its capital and largest city is Port-au-Prince.
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Note
With its extremely low average income and literacy rate, Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere.
Note
In 1957, François (“Papa Doc”) Duvalier established a dictatorship; at his death in 1971, he was succeeded by his son, Jean Claude (“Baby Doc”), who was finally overthrown in 1986. Since then the government has changed several times through military coups. In 1994, U.S. troops arrived in Haiti in an effort to restore democratic government, however, the political and economic future of Haiti remains uncertain.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.