Paraguay

[ par-uh-gwahy, -gwey; Spanish pah-rah-gwahy ]

noun
  1. a republic in central South America between Bolivia, Brazil, and Argentina. 157,047 sq. mi. (406,750 sq. km). Capital: Asunción.

  2. a river in central South America, flowing south from western Brazil through Paraguay to the Paraná River. 1,500 miles (2,400 km) long.

Other words from Paraguay

  • an·ti-Par·a·guay, adjective
  • Par·a·guay·an, adjective, noun
  • pro-Par·a·guay, adjective
  • trans-Par·a·guay·an, adjective

Words Nearby Paraguay

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

How to use Paraguay in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Paraguay

Paraguay

/ (ˈpærəˌɡwaɪ) /


noun
  1. an inland republic in South America: colonized by the Spanish from 1537, gaining independence in 1811; lost 142 500 sq km (55 000 sq miles) of territory and over half its population after its defeat in the war against Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay (1865–70). It is divided by the Paraguay River into a sparsely inhabited semiarid region (Chaco) in the west, and a central region of wooded hills, tropical forests, and rich grasslands, rising to the Paraná plateau in the east. Official languages: Spanish and Guarani. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: guarani. Capital: Asunción. Pop: 6 623 252 (2013 est). Area: 406 750 sq km (157 047 sq miles)

  2. a river in South America flowing south through Brazil and Paraguay to the Paraná River. Length: about 2400 km (1500 miles)

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

Cultural definitions for Paraguay

Paraguay

[ (par-uh-gweye, par-uh-gway) ]


Republic in south-central South America, enclosed by Bolivia on the west and north, Brazil on the northeast, and Argentina on the south and west.

Notes for Paraguay

Controlled for many decades by a highly repressive military government. A civilian was elected president in 1993.

Notes for Paraguay

Reputed sanctuary for Nazi fugitives.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.