Peru

Pe·ru

[puh-roo]
noun
1.
Spanish Pe·rú [pe-roo] . a republic in W South America. 496,222 sq. mi. (1,285,215 sq. km). Capital: Lima.
2.
a city in N central Indiana.
3.
a city in N Illinois.

Pe·ru·vi·an [puh-roo-vee-uhn] , adjective, noun
non-Pe·ru·vi·an, adjective, noun
pro-Pe·ru·vi·an, adjective, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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00:10
Peru is always a great word to know.
So is ort. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
Collins
World English Dictionary
Peru (pəˈruː) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
a republic in W South America, on the Pacific: the centre of the great Inca Empire when conquered by the Spanish in 1532; gained independence in 1824 by defeating Spanish forces with armies led by San Martín and Bolívar; consists of a coastal desert, rising to the Andes; an important exporter of minerals and a major fishing nation. Official languages: Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara. Official religion: Roman Catholic. Currency: nuevo sol. Capital: Lima. Pop: 27 567 000 (2004 est). Area: 1 285 215 sq km (496 222 sq miles)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

Peru
from Sp. Peru, said to be from Quechua pelu "river."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary

Peru definition


Republic in western South America, bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west, Ecuador to the northwest, Colombia to the northeast, Brazil and Bolivia to the east, and Chile to the south. Its capital and largest city is Lima.

Note: Achieved independence from Spain in 1821.
Note: Peru was the heart of the Inca Empire, which flourished from the twelfth to the sixteenth centuries. The remains of the empire include the fabled stone fortress of Machu Picchu.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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