panama1
/ˈpanəmɑː
/ /ˌpanəˈmɑː /(also panama hat)
noun
A man’s wide-brimmed hat of straw-like material, originally made from the leaves of a particular tropical palm tree.Only buy a panama hat with a sweatband, which helps keep your hat in place and prevents it from stretching out....
- My wide-brimmed panama hat was chilling nicely in the boat's hat cooler.
- Even if you don't think of yourself as much of a ‘hat ‘person, a panama hat is one of the best places to start.’
Origin
Mid 19th century: named after the country of Panama.
Panama2
/ˈpanəmɑː/ /ˌpanəˈmɑː /
A country in Central America; population 3,360,500 (est. 2009); official language, Spanish; capital, Panama City.
Panama occupies the isthmus connecting North and South America. Colonized by Spain in the early 16th century, Panama was freed from imperial control in 1821, becoming a Colombian province. It gained full independence in 1903, although the construction of the Panama Canal and the leasing of the zone around it to the US (until 1979) split the country in two; the canal itself was ceded to Panama in 1999.