Balboa

American  

[bal-boh-uh, bahl-baw-ah] / bælˈboʊ ə, bɑlˈbɔ ɑ /

noun

1. Vasco Núñez de 1475?–1517, Spanish adventurer and explorer who discovered the Pacific Ocean in 1513.

2. a seaport in Panama at the Pacific terminus of the Panama Canal.

3. balboa, a silver coin and monetary unit of Panama, equal to 100 centesimos.

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Balboa ¹ British  

/ balˈβoa, bælˈbəʊə /

noun

1. Vasco Núñez de (ˈbasko ˈnuɲeθ de). ?1475–1519, Spanish explorer, who discovered the Pacific Ocean in 1513

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Balboa ² British  

/ bælˈbəʊə, balˈβoa /

noun

1. a port in Panama at the Pacific end of the Panama Canal: the administrative centre of the former Canal Zone. Pop: 2750 (1990)

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balboa ³ British  

/ bælˈbəʊə /

noun

1. the standard currency unit of Panama, divided into 100 centesimos

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Etymology

Origin of balboa

named after Vasco Núñez de _Balboa

Example Sentences

They lured me to the Balboa Cafe for dinner and wine.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026

Since 1997, Hutchison has managed the ports of Cristobal on the interoceanic canal's Atlantic side and Balboa on the Pacific side.

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026

The high court said the terms under which CK Hutchison runs the ports of Balboa on the Pacific Coast and Cristobal on the Atlantic side were unconstitutional.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

Panama Ports Company -- a CK Hutchison Holdings subsidiary -- manages the ports of Cristobal on the canal's Atlantic entrance and Balboa on the Pacific side.

From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026

After the first Friday, a bone-weary Ernest Lawrence boarded a red-eye flight west for a few days at Balboa and was back in the air two days later for another grueling week.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik