COUNTRY

nation, land, country

(noun) the people who live in a nation or country; “a statement that sums up the nation’s mood”; “the news was announced to the nation”; “the whole country worshipped him”

state, nation, country, land, commonwealth, res publica, body politic

(noun) a politically organized body of people under a single government; “the state has elected a new president”; “African nations”; “students who had come to the nation’s capitol”; “the country’s largest manufacturer”; “an industrialized land”

area, country

(noun) a particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography); “it was a mountainous area”; “Bible country”

country, state, land

(noun) the territory occupied by a nation; “he returned to the land of his birth”; “he visited several European countries”

country, rural area

(noun) an area outside of cities and towns; “his poetry celebrated the slower pace of life in the country”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

---

Etymology

Noun

country (plural countries)

(chiefly British) An area of land; a district, region. [from 13th c.]

A set region of land having particular human occupation or agreed limits, especially inhabited by members of the same race, speakers of the same language etc, or associated with a given person, occupation, species etc. [from 13th c.]

The territory of a nation, especially an independent nation state or formerly independent nation; a political entity asserting ultimate authority over a geographical area; a sovereign state. [from 14th c.]

(uncountable, usually preceded by “the”) A rural area, as opposed to a town or city; the countryside. [from 16th c.]

Ellipsis of country music. [from 20th c.]

(mining) The rock through which a vein runs.

(vulgar, countable, ) The female genitalia, especially the vagina.

Usage notes

The geographical sense of "country" usually refers to a sovereign state, that is, a nation with no administrative dependence on another one, which is the definition adopted in most world maps. In a broader sense, however, "country" may also refer to nations with some degree of autonomy and cultural identity but still under the sovereignty of another state. Examples of the latter include Scotland, Tibet, Abkhazia, and Greenland.

Hyponyms

(Hyponyms of country (noun)):

• cleft country

• developing country

• high country

• King Country

• member country

• old country

• West Country

Adjective

country (not comparable)

From or in the countryside or connected with it.

Of or connected to country music.

Source: Wiktionary

---

Coun"try (kn"tr), n.; pl. Countries (-tr. Etym: [F. contr, LL. contrata, fr. L. contra over against, on the opposite side. Cf. Counter, adv., Contra.]

1. A tract of land; a region; the territory of an independent nation; (as distinguished from any other region, and with a personal pronoun) the region of one's birth, permanent residence, or citizenship. Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred. Gen. xxxxii. 9. I might have learned this by my last exile, that change of countries cannot change my state. Stirling. Many a famous realm And country, whereof here needs no account Milton.

2. Rural regions, as opposed to a city or town. As they walked, on their way into the country. Mark xvi. 12 (Rev. Ver. ). God made the covatry, and man made the town. Cowper. Only very great men were in the habit of dividing the year between town and country. Macualay.

3. The inhabitants or people of a state or a region; the populace; the public. Hence: (a) One's constituents. (b) The whole body of the electors of state; as, to dissolve Parliament and appeal to the country. All the country in a general voice Cried hate upon him. Shak.

4. (Law) (a) A jury, as representing the citizens of a country. (b) The inhabitants of the district from which a jury is drawn.

5. (Mining.)

Definition: The rock through which a vein runs. Conclusion to the country. See under Conclusion.

– To put, or throw, one's self upon the country, to appeal to one's constituents; to stand trial before a jury.

Coun"try, a.

1. Pertaining to the regions remote from a city; rural; rustic; as, a country life; a country town; the country party, as opposed to city.

2. Destitute of refinement; rude; unpolished; rustic; not urbane; as, country manners.

3. Pertaining, or peculiar, to one's own country. She, bowing herself towards him, laughing the cruel tyrant to scorn, spake in her country language. 2 Macc. vii. 27.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

---