Humboldt

[ huhm-bohlt; for 1, 2 also German hoom-bawlt ]

noun
  1. Frie·drich Hein·rich A·lex·an·der [free-drikh-hahyn-rikh-ah-lek-sahn-duhr], /ˈfri drɪx ˈhaɪn rɪx ˌɑ lɛkˈsɑn dər/, Baron von [fuhn], /fən/, 1769–1859, German naturalist, writer, and statesman.

  2. his brother, (Karl) Wil·helm [kahrl vil-helm], /kɑrl ˈvɪl hɛlm/, Baron von, 1767–1835, German philologist and diplomat.

  1. a town in NW Tennessee.

  2. a river in NE Nevada, flowing W and SW to the Humboldt Sink. 290 miles (467 km) long.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for Humboldt

Humboldt

/ (ˈhʌmbəʊlt, German ˈhʊmbɔlt) /


noun
  1. Baron (Friedrich Heinrich) Alexander von (alɛˈksandər fɔn). 1769–1859, German scientist, who made important scientific explorations in Central and South America (1799–1804). In Kosmos (1845–62), he provided a comprehensive description of the physical universe

  2. his brother, Baron (Karl) Wilhelm von (ˈvɪlhɛlm fɔn). 1767–1835, German philologist and educational reformer

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for Humboldt

Humboldt

[ hŭmbōlt′, humbôlt′ ]


  1. German naturalist and writer who explored South America, Cuba, and Mexico (1799-1804) and recorded a wide range of species, particularly plants, and attempted to explain their geographic distribution with respect to their environment. His work laid the foundation the science of ecology.

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