congo

¹

[ kong-goh ]

noun

1. congou.

Congo

²

[ kong-goh ]

noun

1. People's Republic of the Congo, a republic in central Africa, west of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 132,046 sq. mi. (341,999 sq. km). : Brazzaville. Formerly French Congo,.
2. Democratic Republic of the Congo, a republic in central Africa. 905,568 sq. mi. (2,345,410 sq. km). : Kinshasa. Formerly Zaire, none Democratic Republic of the Congo, none Belgian Congo, none Congo Free State.
3. Congo River, a river in central Africa, flowing in a great loop from southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo to the Atlantic. About 3,000 miles (4,800 km) long. Also called Zaire.
4. Kongo.

Congo

/ ˈkɒŋɡəʊ /

noun

1. Democratic Republic of Congo
   a republic in S central Africa, with a narrow strip of land along the Congo estuary leading to the Atlantic in the west: Congo Free State established in 1885, with Leopold II of Belgium as absolute monarch; became the Belgian Congo colony in 1908; gained independence in 1960, followed by civil war and the secession of Katanga (until 1963); President Mobutu Sese Seko seized power in 1965; declared a one-party state in 1978, and was overthrown by rebels in 1997. The country consists chiefly of the Congo basin, with large areas of dense tropical forest and marshes, and the Mitumba highlands reaching over 5000 m (16 000 ft) in the east. Official language: French. Religion: Christian majority, animist minority. Currency: Congolese franc. Capital: Kinshasa. Pop: 75 507 308 (2013 est). Area: 2 344 116 sq km (905 063 sq miles) Former names1885–1908Congo Free State1908–60Belgian Congo1960–71Congo-Kinshasa1971–97Zaïre
2. Republic of Congo
   another name for Congo-Brazzaville
3. the second longest river in Africa, rising as the Lualaba on the Katanga plateau in the Democratic Republic of Congo and flowing in a wide northerly curve to the Atlantic: forms the border between Congo-Brazzaville and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Length: about 4800 km (3000 miles). Area of basin: about 3 000 000 sq km (1 425 000 sq miles) Former Zaïrese name (1971–97)Zaïre
4. a variant spelling of Kongo

Other Words From

• trans-Congo adjective

Example Sentences

The tracks contain a cross pattern, a reference to the African dikenga, also known as the congo cosmogram, a chart that symbolizes the cycle of life from birth to the realm of the ancestors.

From New York Times

The 25-year-old said that even though “congo traditions are in her blood” she never imagined she would be elected queen of the festival.

From Washington Times

That day led to the Last Poets’ revelatory, self-titled 1970 debut of vitriolic black power poems spoken over the beat of a congo drum.

From The Guardian

Slave For You sees Britney and her backing dancers form a weird congo on the ground before she directs them to a stripper pole.

From The Guardian

“For ‘On Broadway,’ I played a congo solo,” he said.

From Washington Times