name
Common
Columbus
kuh-LUHM-buhs
Columbus (name) means Christopher Columbus, the Italian explorer whose 1492 voyage across the Atlantic opened up European contact with the Americas. Example: “Columbus set sail from Spain believing he would reach Asia.”
name
1
Christopher Columbus, the Italian explorer whose 1492 voyage across the Atlantic opened up European contact with the Americas.
"Columbus set sail from Spain believing he would reach Asia."
2
The capital city of the U.S. state of Ohio.
"She moved to Columbus for a new job downtown."
noun
1
Informally, a person credited with a bold new discovery.
"Reporters called the young scientist "a modern-day Columbus" for his find."
How to use Columbus
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishBest known as the explorer's name and as a US city name.
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Word forms
- Plural
- Columbuses
- Third person singular
- Columbuses
- Past tense
- Columbused
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
_____ set sail from Spain believing he would reach Asia.
Etymology
From Latin columbus, "dove," the family name of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, who gave his name to several places and figures of speech.
Synonyms
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Frequently asked questions
What does “Columbus” mean?
The word “Columbus” means christopher Columbus, the Italian explorer whose 1492 voyage across the Atlantic opened up European contact with the Americas. In plain terms, best known as the explorer's name and as a US city name.
How do you pronounce “Columbus”?
“Columbus” is pronounced kuh-LUHM-buhs (/kəˈlʌmbəs/ in IPA).
How do you use “Columbus” in a sentence?
Here is “Columbus” used in a sentence: “Columbus set sail from Spain believing he would reach Asia.”
What part of speech is “Columbus”?
Depending on how it is used, “Columbus” can be a name and a noun.
Where does the word “Columbus” come from?
The word “Columbus” comes from Latin. From Latin columbus, "dove," the family name of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, who gave his name to several places and figures of speech.
Is “Columbus” a common word?
“Columbus” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “Columbus” have?
“Columbus” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: christopher Columbus, the Italian explorer whose 1492 voyage across the Atlantic opened up European contact with the Americas.
Is Columbus the capital of Ohio?
Yes. Columbus is the capital city of the U.S. state of Ohio. The city shares its name with the explorer Christopher Columbus.
Why is Christopher Columbus famous?
Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer whose 1492 voyage across the Atlantic opened up European contact with the Americas. His legacy is also widely debated today because of the consequences that contact had for the Indigenous peoples of the Americas.
Should Columbus be capitalized?
Yes, always. Columbus is a proper noun — a personal name and a city name — so it takes a capital C. It stays capitalized even in the informal use "a Columbus," because the word comes directly from the name.
