country
Pronunciation: /ˈkʌntri/
noun ( plural countries)
- 1a nation with its own government, occupying a particular territory: the country’s increasingly precarious economic position Spain, Italy, and other European countries
- (the country) the people of a nation: the whole country took to the streets
- 2 (often the country) districts and small settlements outside large urban areas or the capital: the airfield is right out in the country
- 3
- a region associated with a particular person, work, or television programme: an old mansion in Stevenson’s ‘Kidnapped’ country
- 4short for country music.
Phrases
-
across country
- not keeping to roads: their route was across country, through fields of corn
-
go (or appeal) to the country
- British test public opinion by dissolving Parliament and holding a general election: the prime minister had been due to go to the country by November
-
one's line of country
- British a subject in which one is skilled or knowledgeable: anagrams are not in my line of country
Origin:
Middle English: from Old French cuntree, from medieval Latin contrata (terra) '(land) lying opposite', from Latin contra 'against, opposite'