Bight of Benin

Be·nin

[be-neen]
noun
1.
Formerly Dahomey. a republic in W Africa: formerly part of French West Africa; gained independence in 1960. 44,290 sq. mi. (114,711 sq. km). Capital: Porto Novo.
2.
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.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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World English Dictionary
Benin (bɛˈniːn) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  Former name (until 1975): Dahomey a republic in W Africa, on the Bight of Benin, a section of the Gulf of Guinea: in the early 19th century a powerful kingdom, famed for its women warriors; became a French colony in 1893, gaining independence in 1960. It consists chiefly of coastal lagoons and swamps in the south, a fertile plain and marshes in the centre, and the Atakora Mountains in the northwest. Official language: French. Religion: animist majority. Currency: franc. Capital: Porto Novo (the government is based in Cotonou). Pop: 6 918 000 (2004 est). Area: 112 622 sq km (43 474 sq miles)
2.  a former kingdom of W Africa, powerful from the 14th to the 17th centuries: now a province of S Nigeria: noted for its bronzes

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

Benin
former W.African kingdom, from the Bini people, whose name is perhaps related to Arabic bani "sons." Though now the people is associated with Nigeria, the name was taken 1974 by the former nation of Dahomey.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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