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Cities

 - 3 dictionary results

cit⋅y

  [sit-ee]
Use Cities in a Sentence
–noun, plural cit⋅ies.
1. a large or important town.
2. (in the U.S.) an incorporated municipality, usually governed by a mayor and a board of aldermen or councilmen.
3. the inhabitants of a city collectively: The entire city is mourning his death.
4. (in Canada) a municipality of high rank, usually based on population.
5. (in Great Britain) a borough, usually the seat of a bishop, upon which the dignity of the title has been conferred by the crown.
6. the City,
a. the major metropolitan center of a region; downtown: I'm going to the City to buy clothes and see a show.
b. the commercial and financial area of London, England.
7. a city-state.
8. (often initial capital letter) Slang. a place, person, or situation having certain features or characteristics (used in combination): The party last night was Action City. That guy is dull city.
Origin:
1175–1225; ME cite < AF, OF cite(t) < L cīvitāt- (s. of cīvitās) citizenry, town, equiv. to cīvi(s) citizen + -tāt- -ty 2

Related forms:
cit⋅y⋅less, adjective
cit⋅y⋅like, adjective

Synonyms:
1. See community.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To Cities
cit·y   (sĭt'ē)   
n.   pl. cit·ies

  1. A center of population, commerce, and culture; a town of significant size and importance.

    1. An incorporated municipality in the United States with definite boundaries and legal powers set forth in a charter granted by the state.

    2. A Canadian municipality of high rank, usually determined by population but varying by province.

    3. A large incorporated town in Great Britain, usually the seat of a bishop, with its title conferred by the Crown.

  3. The inhabitants of a city considered as a group.

  4. An ancient Greek city-state.

  5. Slang Used in combination as an intensive: The playing field was mud city after the big rain.

  6. City The financial and commercial center of London. Used with the.


[Middle English cite, from Old French, from Latin cīvitās, from cīvis, citizen; see kei-1 in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

city 
c.1225, from O.Fr. cite, in medieval usage a cathedral town, but orig. meaning any settlement, regardless of size (distinction from town is 14c., though in Eng. it always seems to have ranked above borough), from earlier citet, from L. civitatem (nom. civitas) orig. "citizenship, community of citizens," from civis "townsman," from PIE base *kei- "to lie, homestead." The L. word for "city" was urbs, but a resident was civis. Civitas seems to have replaced urbs as Rome (the ultimate urbs) lost its prestige. City hall first recorded 1675; city slicker first recorded 1924 (see slick); both Amer.Eng. Inner city first attested 1968.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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