America

American  

[uh-mer-i-kuh] / əˈmɛr ɪ kə /

noun

1. United States.

2. North America.

3. South America.

4. Also called the Americas.  North and South America considered together.

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America British  

/ əˈmɛrɪkə /

noun

1. short for the United States of America

2. Also called: the Americas.  the American continent, including North, South, and Central America

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“America” Cultural  

1. An American patriotic hymn from the nineteenth century, sung to the tune of the national anthem of Great Britain, “God Save the Queen.” It begins, “My country, 'tis of thee.”

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Usage

Spelling tips for America It can be difficult to remember how to spell the word America because it’s a place name that’s thought to be derived from a person’s name (Amerigo Vespucci). How to spell America: To remember how to spell America, think of a woman named Erica introducing herself: “Hi, I am Erica.”

Etymology

Origin of America

C16: from Americus , Latin form of Amerigo ; after Amerigo _Vespucci

Example Sentences

Nike’s overall quarterly sales of $11.3 billion beat Wall Street expectations, with sales ticking up in North America and Europe.

From The Wall Street Journal

Based on its features, scientists classified it as a thescelosaurid, a group of two-legged dinosaurs found in East Asia and North America that may have had fuzzy coverings.

From Science Daily

Director Elia Kazan was drawn to both playwrights because he understood that they were as interested in the stories of individual Americans as they were in the larger tale of America itself.

From Los Angeles Times

Rattlesnakes “evolved this venom millions and millions of years before people were ever even in North America.”

From Los Angeles Times

America is about to do something great: send astronauts around the moon on a giant rocket that is taller than the Statue of Liberty External link.

From Barron's