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Nicaragua, Lake
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The largest lake of Central America, in southwest Nicaragua. The freshwater lake contains fish, such as sharks and sawfish, usually found only in salt water.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Nic·a·ra·gua (nĭkə-rägwə)
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A country of Central America on the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Various Indian peoples, including the Miskito, inhabited the area when Columbus visited in 1502. Spanish settlement began in 1524. The colony was ruled as part of Guatemala until 1821, when the entire region gained independence. Since its designation as a republic in 1838, Nicaragua has had a turbulent history, with frequent intervention by foreign powers. Managua is the capital and the largest city.

Nica·raguan adj. & n.
(click for a larger image)
Nicaragua

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.