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benin - 3 dictionary results

Be⋅nin

  [be-neen]
Use benin in a Sentence
–noun
1. Formerly, Dahomey. a republic in W Africa: formerly part of French West Africa; gained independence in 1960. 3,197,000; 44,290 sq. mi. (114,711 sq. km). Capital: Porto Novo.
2. Bight of, a bay in N Gulf of Guinea in W Africa.
3. a former native kingdom in W Africa: now incorporated into Nigeria.
4. a river in S Nigeria, flowing into the Bight of Benin.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Be·nin   (bə-nĭn', bě-nēn')   


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  1. A former kingdom of western Africa, now part of Nigeria. It flourished from the 14th to the 17th century.
  2. Formerly Da·ho·mey (də-hō'mē, dä-ô-mā') A country of western Africa. Originally made up of several ancient kingdoms colonized by France in the 19th century, it became independent in 1960 and was renamed Benin in 1975. Porto-Novo is the capital and Cotonou the largest city. Population: 8,080,000.
  3. also Benin City A city of southern Nigeria on the Benin River, about 161 km (100 mi) long. The city is known for its bronze works of art. Population: 1,120,000.
Benin, Bight of  
A wide indentation of the Gulf of Guinea in western Africa.
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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