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Wash·ing·ton (wŏshĭng-tən, wôshĭng-)
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1. Abbr. WA or Wash. A state of the northwest United States on the Pacific Ocean. It was admitted as the 42nd state in 1889. Explored by Capt. James Cook in 1778, Washington was the object of a dispute between Britain and the United States until 1846, when its northern border was set at the 49th parallel. Olympia is the capital and Seattle the largest city.
2. The capital of the United States, on the Potomac River between Virginia and Maryland and coextensive with the District of Columbia. It was designed by Pierre L'Enfant and became the capital in 1800. In the War of 1812 the British captured and sacked (1814) Washington, burning most of the public buildings, including the Capitol and the White House.

Washing·toni·an (wŏshĭng-tōnē-ən, wôshĭng-) adj. & n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Washington, Booker T(aliaferro) 1856-1915.
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American educator. Born into slavery, he acquired an education after emancipation and became the principal of Tuskegee Institute, which flourished under his leadership (1881-1915). He also wrote an autobiography, Up from Slavery (1901).
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Booker T. Washington

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Washington, Mount
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A peak, 1,917 m (6,288 ft) high, in the White Mountains of northern New Hampshire. The highest elevation in the northeast United States, it is known for its unusually severe weather.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Washington, Martha Dandridge Custis 1731-1802.
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First lady of the United States (1789-1797) as the wife of President George Washington.
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Martha Washington
c. 1853 portrait by Rembrandt Peale

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Washington, Lake
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A lake in west-central Washington on the eastern boundary of Seattle.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Washington, Dinah Originally Ruth Lee Jones. 1924-1963.
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American singer noted for her warm, powerful voice and sensitive interpretation of jazz, blues, and popular standards.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Washington, George 1732-1799.
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American military leader and the first president of the United States (1789-1797). Commander of the American forces in the Revolutionary War (1775-1783), he presided over the Constitutional Convention (1787) and was elected president of the fledgling country (1789). He shunned partisan politics and in his farewell address (1796) warned against foreign involvement.

Washing·toni·an (wŏshĭng-tōnē-ən, wôshĭng-) adj. & n.
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George Washington
1795 portrait by Rembrandt Peale

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.