[pan-uh-mah, -maw] 
| 1. | a republic in S Central America. 2,693,417; 28,575 sq. mi. (74,010 sq. km). |
| 2. | Also called Panama City. a city in and the capital of Panama, at the Pacific end of the Panama Canal. 438,000. |
| 3. | Isthmus of. Formerly, Isthmus of Darien. an isthmus between North and South America. |
| 4. | Gulf of, the portion of the Pacific in the bend of the Isthmus of Panama. |
| 5. | (sometimes lowercase ) Panama hat. |
[Sp. pah-nah-mah] (for defs. 1, 2). [pan-uh-mey-nee-uhn, -mah-] , adjective, noun [pa-nam-ik] , adjective | a hat made of finely plaited young leaves of the jipijapa, a palmlike plant of Central and South America. |
Pan·a·ma (pān'ə-mä')  (click for larger image in new window)
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| Panama, Gulf of A wide inlet of the Pacific Ocean on the southern coast of Panama. |
| Panama, Isthmus of Formerly Isthmus of Da·ri·én (dâr'ē-ěn', där-yěn') An isthmus of Central America connecting North and South America and separating the Pacific Ocean from the Caribbean Sea. |
Republic on the Isthmus of Panama, which connects Central America and South America, bordered by Costa Rica to the west, and Colombia to the east. Its capital and largest city is Panama City.
Note: Backed by the United States, which wanted to negotiate a treaty to build a canal connecting the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean, Panama revolted against Colombia, of which it was a part, and declared itself independent in 1903.
Note: The United States built the Panama Canal from 1904 to 1914, and American relations with Panama long were shaped by the U.S. presence in the Canal Zone, which divides the country.
Note: In 1989, the United States invaded Panama and forcibly removed its leader, Manuel Noriega, to the United States, where he was tried and convicted for drug trafficking. (See also Panama Canal.)