a city in central Lithuania at the confluence of the Neman and Viliya Rivers: ceded by Poland to Russia in 1795; became the provisional capital of Lithuania (1920–40); incorporated into the Soviet Union 1944–91; university (1922). Pop: 364 000 (2005 est)
Russian name: Kovno
Kaunas in American English
(ˈkaʊˌnɑs)
city in SC Lithuania, on the Neman River: pop. 415,000