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Panama

American  
[pan-uh-mah, -maw] / ˈpæn əˌmɑ, -ˌmɔ /
Spanish Panamá

noun

  1. a republic in southern Central America. 28,575 square miles (74,010 square kilometers).

  2. Also called Panama City.  a city in and the capital of Panama, at the Pacific end of the Panama Canal.

  3. Formerly Darien.  Isthmus of Panama an isthmus between North and South America.

  4. Gulf of Panama the portion of the Pacific Ocean in the bend of the Isthmus of Panama.

  5. Sometimes panama Panama hat.


Panama British  
/ ˌpænəˈmɑː, ˈpænəˌmɑː /

noun

  1. a republic in Central America, occupying the Isthmus of Panama: gained independence from Spain in 1821 and joined Greater Colombia; became independent in 1903, with the immediate area around the canal forming the Canal Zone under US jurisdiction; Panama assumed sovereignty over the Canal Zone in 1979 and full control in 1999. Official language: Spanish; English is also widely spoken. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: balboa. Capital: Panama City. Pop: 3 559 408 (2013 est). Area: 75 650 sq km (29 201 sq miles)

  2. Former name: Darien.   Isthmus of Darien.  an isthmus linking North and South America, between the Pacific and the Caribbean. Length: 676 km (420 miles). Width (at its narrowest point): 50 km (31 miles)

  3. a wide inlet of the Pacific in Panama

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Panama Cultural  
  1. Republic on the Isthmus of Panama, which connects Central America and South America, bordered by Costa Rica to the west, and Colombia to the east. Its capital and largest city is Panama City.


Discover More

Backed by the United States, which wanted to negotiate a treaty to build a canal connecting the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean, Panama revolted against Colombia, of which it was a part, and declared itself independent in 1903.

In 1989, the United States invaded Panama and forcibly removed its leader, Manuel Noriega, to the United States, where he was tried and convicted for drug trafficking. (See also Panama Canal.)

The United States built the Panama Canal from 1904 to 1914, and American relations with Panama long were shaped by the U.S. presence in the Canal Zone, which divides the country.

Other Word Forms

  • Panamanian adjective
  • Panamic adjective
  • anti-Panama adjective
  • pro-Panama adjective
  • pseudo-Panamanian adjective
  • trans-Panamanian adjective

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The U.S. operates two hospital ships: one is currently docked at an Alabama shipyard while the other is on its way to Panama, which is pretty much in the opposite direction from Greenland.

From Salon

England play Croatia in Dallas on 17 June, Ghana in Boston on 23 June and Panama in New York on 27 June.

From BBC

They had previously spent six years in rural Panama.

From The Wall Street Journal

Hong Kong has formally complained to the government of Panama after it took control of two ports on the Panama Canal.

From BBC

"The Panama Maritime Authority has taken possession of its ports and guarantees the continuity of operations," an official said after the Panamanian Supreme Court annulled Hutchison's contracts to operate the ports.

From Barron's