noun
Common
Portland
PAWT-luhnd
Portland (noun) means a city name used for several places, most famously Portland, Oregon and Portland, Maine, in the United States. Example: “She moved to Portland, Oregon for the tech jobs.”
noun
1
A city name used for several places, most famously Portland, Oregon and Portland, Maine, in the United States.
"She moved to Portland, Oregon for the tech jobs."
How to use Portland
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA place name, most commonly referring to cities in Oregon or Maine, USA, or the Isle of Portland in England.
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Word forms
- Plural
- portlands
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She moved to _____, Oregon for the tech jobs.
Etymology
From Old English Portland, literally "port" + "land" — land by a harbor. The Oregon and Maine cities were both named after English places.
Frequently asked questions
What does “Portland” mean?
The word “Portland” means a city name used for several places, most famously Portland, Oregon and Portland, Maine, in the United States. In plain terms, a place name, most commonly referring to cities in Oregon or Maine, USA, or the Isle of Portland in England.
How do you pronounce “Portland”?
“Portland” is pronounced PAWT-luhnd (/ˈpɔɹtlənd/ in IPA).
How do you use “Portland” in a sentence?
Here is “Portland” used in a sentence: “She moved to Portland, Oregon for the tech jobs.”
What part of speech is “Portland”?
“Portland” is a noun.
Where does the word “Portland” come from?
The word “Portland” comes from Old English. From Old English Portland, literally "port" + "land" — land by a harbor. The Oregon and Maine cities were both named after English places.
Is “Portland” a common word?
“Portland” is a fairly common word in modern English.
What is the difference between Portland, Oregon and Portland, Maine?
Both are US cities named Portland, but Portland, Oregon is a large city in the Pacific Northwest, while Portland, Maine is a smaller port city in the Northeast. Oregon's Portland is the more populous and more widely known internationally.
Why is "Portland" part of the name "Portland cement"?
"Portland cement," the common building cement, was named because its hardened colour was thought to resemble Portland stone, a limestone quarried from the Isle of Portland in Dorset, England. In this term, "Portland" refers to that place in Britain, not the American cities.
Is "Portland" only a place in the United States?
No. Although the best-known Portlands are in Oregon and Maine in the US, the name also belongs to places elsewhere, including the Isle of Portland in Dorset, England, which gives its name to Portland stone and Portland cement.
