United Statesn.
/jᵿˌnʌɪtᵻd ˈsteɪts/, U.S. /juˌnaɪdᵻd ˈsteɪts/ 1. With the. A union of seven provinces forming the basis of the kingdom of the Netherlands; = United Provinces n. at united adj. and n. Compounds. Now historical and rare (in later use only in United States of the Netherlands (also United States of Holland)).In quot. 1600 not a fixed collocation.The seven provinces (Friesland, Gelderland, Holland, Utrecht, Zeeland, Groningen, and Overijssel) were unified by the Union of Utrecht in 1579. The union was replaced by the Republic of Batavia in 1795 following the conquest of the Netherlands during the French Revolutionary Wars.
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the world > the earth > named regions of earth > Europe > Low Countries > [noun] > Netherlands or Holland
Holland?a1400
Low Parties1508
United Provinces1579
United States1600
Dutchland1617
1600 W. Vaughan Golden-groue iii. liii. sig. Aa5v The vnited States of the low Countries sent a huge fleete into Spaine, where they had verie good successe.
1617 F. Moryson Itinerary iii. 94 The Territory of Utrecht is also associated under the same United States.
a1640 J. Fletcher & P. Massinger Sir John van Olden Barnavelt (1980) v. iii. 2798 Do you hold the Vnited States so tame to feare him?
1665 T. Manley tr. H. Grotius De Rebus Belgicis 929 By the publick and private colloquies of the United States people.
1761 Mod. Part Universal Hist. XXXI. 137 Henry was equally desirous of peace as Philip, but he could not with honour receive proposals without communicating them to the queen of England and the United States.
1779 F. Hervey et al. Naval Hist. Great Brit. II. 168 The United States, overwhelmed with the expence of the war,..were extremely desirous of an accommodation.
1856 R. G. Barnwell Sketch Life & Times J. De Witt i. 7 As early as the year 1581, the Deputies of the United States had assembled at Amsterdam.
1905 H. M. Dexter & M. Dexter Eng. & Holland of Pilgrims iv. ii. 293 Seven beautiful maidens personified the United States of Holland.
1986 Polit. Theory 14 210 Distributing the military command according to a federal (tribal) principle, as in the United States of the Netherlands.
2.
a. With the. More fully United States of America. The North American states collectively forming a federal republic or (formerly) a confederation; the country consisting of such states; the government or inhabitants of this country. Abbreviated U.S., U.S.A. Cf. state n. 29b. The main sense.Now chiefly with singular agreement.The United States currently comprises fifty states (including the non-contiguous states of Alaska and Hawaii) and the Federal District of Columbia. The federal republic has its origin in the American War of Independence (1775–83) when the thirteen North American colonies on the east coast successfully rebelled against Great Britain (see United Colonies n. (b) at united adj. and n. Compounds). The original thirteen states which formed the Union (union n.2 13a(a)) drew up a federal constitution in 1787, and George Washington was elected the first President in 1789.
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the world > the earth > named regions of earth > America > North America > [noun] > United States
states1776
United States1776
Yankee-land1803
God's own country1807
U.S.1834
Yankland1834
yankeedoodledom1845
Yankeedom1851
the land of the free1884
land of opportunity1948
U.S. of A.1973
?1774 T. Jefferson Writings (1892) I. 420 A proper device..for the American states united would be the Father presenting the bundle of rods to his son.]
1776 Draft Articles Confederation 17 June in Lett. Delegates to Congr. (1979) IV. 233/1 The name of this Confederation shall be the ‘United States of America’.
1776 ‘Republicus’ Let. 29 June in Amer. Archives (1846) 4th Ser. VI. 1131 As we cannot offer terms of peace to Great Britain until..we agree to call ourselves by some name, I shall rejoice to hear the title of the United States of America, in order that we may be on a proper footing to negotiate a peace.
1776 Jrnls. Continental Congr. 1774–89 (Libr. of Congr.) (1906) VI. 865 [10 Oct.] Resolved, that the inhabitants of Canada, captivated by the United States..be released and sent home.
1781 J. Adams in J. Adams & A. Adams Familiar Lett. (1876) 403 You will never have peace while the Britons have a company of soldiers at liberty within the United States.
1812 Earl of Liverpool in Examiner 11 May 292/2 The United States had assumed a very warlike attitude.
a1817 T. Dwight Trav. New-Eng. & N.-Y. (1821) I. Pref. 18 The United States have been regarded by this class of men as fair game.
1888 Encycl. Brit. XXIII. 759/1 The United States..was anxious to establish what Great Britain was not disposed to grant.
1925 Amer. Mercury Feb. 141/1 The United States claimed the exclusive right to protect and guarantee any canal built across Central America.
1970 Sci. News 97 490 The United States consumes yearly 1.2 million million kilowatt-hours of electricity.
1971 Post (Durban) 6 June 21 The Malombo duo of Philip Tabane and drummer Gabriel Thobejane will be hitting the United States of America soon.
2005 L. Leblanc Pretty in Punk ii. 61 The deadhead contingent that, until 1995, followed the Grateful Dead throughout the United States.
b. colloquial (chiefly U.S.). The form of English spoken in, or considered characteristic of, the United States; American English. Frequently in to talk United States: to speak plainly or frankly. Now rare.
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the mind > language > languages of the world > Indo-Hittite > [noun] > Indo-European > Germanic > English > American English
American1787
American English1806
Yankee1824
Americanese1863
United States1871
Yankeese1883
Amerenglish1923
General American1925
northern1947
Standard American English1951
1871 J. H. Banka State Prison Life i. xvii. 230 President (cooling down): Now, my man, answer my question, without any more prevarication. Guard (doggedly): Talk United States.
1891 E. Roper By Track & Trail ix. 134 Most of the ladies spoke decided ‘United States’; one was ‘Dutch’,..and one..had a decided British accent.
1898 H. E. Hamblen Gen. Manager's Story x. 134 If he made any disparaging comments..I vowed to myself that I'd talk United States to him if I lost my job by it.
1917 Collier's 8 Sept. 18/1 ‘Greetings and salutations! To what are we indebted for the pleasure of this visit?’ ‘Talk United States!’ snapped Uncle Jimmy. ‘Talk United States, and we'll git along a heap better!’
1967 T. Savage Power of Dog iii. 53 The Mexican section hands who couldn't even talk United States.
3.
a. gen. Any (hypothetical or actual) union of the states of a specified geographical area into a political federation.Recorded earliest in United States of Europe n. at sense 3b.
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society > authority > rule or government > a or the state > [noun] > a union or confederacy of states
confederation1621
confederacy1681
incorporating union1706
United States1784
federacy1803
trialism1908
union1909
1784 Public Advertiser 16 July 1/4 How would the Dutch..not have been hooted if they had..assumed and used the appellation of the United States of Europe!
1817 (title) Constitutional charter of the United States of the Ionian Islands.
1864 Chambers's Encycl. VI. 734 New Granada (since 1858 the official designation has been The Granadian Confederation, and since 1862, The United States of Colombia).
1890 Hazell's Ann. 64/2 That the provinces of Brazil, united by federation, compose the United States of Brazil.
1960 V. Thompson & R. Adloff Emerging States French Equatorial Afr. ii. xxiii. 396 Later in February, Boganda said that he still intended to work for creation of the United States of Latin Africa.
2004 P. J. O'Rourke Peace Kills 140 Upholding the dignity of the Senate, in these United States of Earth, would be the solons of Turkmenistan, Libya, Sudan, and such.
b. United States of Europe n. (the name of) a hypothetical political entity formed by the union of Europe's constituent states.
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society > authority > rule or government > a or the state > [noun] > a union or confederacy of states > Europe considered as
United States of Europe1784
1784United States of Europe [see sense 3a].
1800 J. Barlow Lett. from Paris, to Citizens U.S.A. ii. 50 It would present a great union of republics, which might assume the name of the United States of Europe, and guarantee a perpetual harmony among its members.
1851 Friend of People 21 June 242 Breathing one hope that the United States of Europe may become incorporated by one interest.
1869 Beehive 18 Sept. 4/4 The Labour Question in Europe... ‘The United States of Europe’ is becoming an established phrase.
1914 Contemp. Rev. 106 633 I am not proposing a United States of Europe, much less of the world.
1930 W. S. Churchill in J. Colville Churchillians (1981) xiii. 206 The conception of a United States of Europe is right.
1940 H. G. Wells New World Order §7. 104 I find most of these United States of Europe movements are now jumping on to the Federation band-waggon.
1990 Times 13 Dec. 10/4 Economic and monetary union..would, the former chancellor..said last year, inevitably lead to the United States of Europe.
Compounds
General attributive (in sense 2a).
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1793 Public Advertiser 18 Nov. On the 28th of August, a party consisting of about 300, killed Lieutenant James Tedford, of the United States troops.
1798 Mirror of Times 15 Sept. The Citizens of Tennesse, generally, are well disposed to the late Administration of the United States Government.
1819 G. Flagg Let. 12 June in Trans. Illinois State Hist. Soc. 1910 (1912) 15 165 They settle on united States land.
1840 (title) United States Digest.
1875 W. S. Jevons Money xix. 246 The United States government.
1920 Times 18 May 15/5 The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibiting the sale and manufacture of intoxicating liquors.
1940 Evening Ledger (Philadelphia) 20 July Youngsters..have applied for enlistment in the United States Army in the recruiting station in the Custom House.
1978 Nature 13 July 117/1 The United States administration is clearly determined to make a success of photovoltaics.
1980 E. Cantarow Moving Mountain 127 Because they were not United States citizens, ‘green carders’ lived under the threat of deportation.
2000 Guardian 4 Jan. i. 11/1 The political contest to succeed Bill Clinton as United States president.
Derivatives
Uˌnited ˈStateser n. an inhabitant or citizen of the United States.Often used as an alternative to American in order to highlight the distinction between the United States of America and the continent of America.
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1845 N.Y. Herald 3 Apr. 2/2 A ‘United Stateser’, Mr. Field comments, is most decidedly, in foreign parts,..‘rather an ominous name’.
1848 Holden's Dollar Mag. Nov. 693/1 We United Statesers have not yet produced one popular novelist.
1919 G. A. Miller Prowling about Panama xii. 184 Here the ‘United Stateser’ gets into trouble.
1995 I. A. Obadele in S. Jackson & J. Solis Beyond Comfort Zones in Multiculturalism iii. 37 The formal marshalling of resources by the Americans (i.e., the whites), the United Statesers.
Uˌnited ˈStatesian n. and adj. (a) adj. of or belonging to the United States; (b) n. an inhabitant or citizen of the United States.Often used as an alternative to American in order to highlight the distinction between the United States of America and the continent of America.
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the world > the earth > named regions of earth > America > North America > [adjective] > U.S.A.
United Statesian1845
stateside1942
the world > people > nations > native or inhabitant of America > native or inhabitant of North America > native or inhabitant of U.S.A. > [noun]
long knife1784
Yankeec1784
Yankee Doodle1787
Columbian1789
Brother Jonathan1816
norteamericano1839
United Statesian1845
Joe1947
Yanqui1969
1845 Daily National Intelligencer (Washington) 4 Apr. The term ‘America’ belongs to the whole hemisphere. It would be awkward to call ourselves ‘United Statesians’.
1892 Notes & Queries 8th Ser. 2 146/2 To an outsider, say a Frenchman or a United-Statesian.
1897 Westm. Gaz. 26 Aug. 3/3 The secret of the American or rather United-Statesian race.
1997 Financial Post (Canada) 4 Jan. 34/4 Great! Now who's going to tell the United Statesians?
Uˌnited ˈStatesman n. now rare an inhabitant or citizen of the United States.
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1825 St. James's Chron. 20 Aug. 4/1 (heading) Letter from London by a United Statesman, to his friend in New York.
1915 Bookseller, Newsdealer & Stationer 1 Dec. 807/1 Introducing the American Spirit, by Edward A. Steiner, is a book of which every United Statesman should have a copy within daily reach of his hand.
1977 G. Vidal in N.Y. Rev. Bks. 29 Sept. 10/1 Mrs. Trollope had commented without warmth on the manners and the domestic arrangements of United Statesmen.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2015; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1600