Portland
[ pawrt-luh nd, pohrt- ]
/ ˈpɔrt lənd, ˈpoʊrt- /
|
noun
a seaport in NW Oregon, at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers.
a seaport in SW Maine, on Casco Bay.
a town in S Texas.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for portland
British Dictionary definitions for portland (1 of 2)
Portland
1/ (ˈpɔːtlənd) /
noun
Isle of Portland a rugged limestone peninsula in SW England, in Dorset, connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus and by Chesil Bank: the lighthouse of Portland Bill lies at the S tip; famous for the quarrying of Portland stone, a fine building material
an inland port in NW Oregon, on the Willamette River: the largest city in the state; shipbuilding and chemical industries. Pop: 538 544 (2003 est)
a port in SW Maine, on Casco Bay: the largest city in the state; settled by the English in 1632, destroyed successively by French, Indian, and British attacks, and rebuilt; capital of Maine (1820–32). Pop: 63 635 (2003 est)
British Dictionary definitions for portland (2 of 2)
Portland
2/ (ˈpɔːtlənd) /
noun
3rd Duke of. title of William Henry Cavendish Bentinck. 1738–1809, British statesman; prime minister (1783; 1807–09); father of Lord William Cavendish Bentinck
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for portland
Portland
in Portland cement, 1720, named by its inventor, English mason Joseph Aspdin, from resemblance of the color to the stone of Portland peninsula on the coast of Dorsetshire. The place name is literally "land surrounding a harbor," Old English Portlanda. Portland, Maine, U.S.A., took its name 1786, for the place in England. Portland, Oregon, was said to have been named for the city in Maine, which won the honor by a coin toss over Boston.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Culture definitions for portland
Portland
Two major cities in the United States: the largest city in Oregon and the largest city in Maine.
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.