1. Abbr. WA or Wash. A state of the northwest United States on the Pacific Ocean. It was admitted as the 42nd state in 1889. Explored by Capt. James Cook in 1778, Washington was the object of a dispute between Britain and the United States until 1846, when its northern border was set at the 49th parallel. Olympia is the capital and Seattle the largest city.

2. The capital of the United States, on the Potomac River between Virginia and Maryland and coextensive with the District of Columbia. It was designed by Pierre L'Enfant and became the capital in 1800. In the War of 1812 the British captured and sacked (1814) Washington, burning most of the public buildings, including the Capitol and the White House.