| United Kingdom or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Commonly called Great Britain or Britain. Abbr. UK A country of western Europe comprising England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Beginning with the kingdom of England, it was created by three acts of union: with Wales (1536), Scotland (1707), and Ireland (1800). At the height of its power in the 19th century it ruled an empire that spanned the globe. London is the capital and the largest city. Population: 60,800,000. |   |
United Kingdom
n
(Placename) a kingdom of NW Europe, consisting chiefly of the island of Great Britain together with Northern Ireland: became the world's leading colonial power in the 18th century: the first country to undergo the Industrial Revolution. It became the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1921, after the rest of Ireland became autonomous as the Irish Free State. Primarily it is a trading nation, the chief exports being manufactured goods; joined the Common Market (now the European Union) in January 1973. Official language: English; Gaelic, Welsh, and other minority languages. Religion: Christian majority. Currency: pound sterling. Capital: London. Pop.: 58 789 194 (2001). Area: 244 110 sq. km (94 251 sq. miles) Abbreviation UK See also Great Britain
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. | United Kingdom - a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; `Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom clanger - a conspicuous mistake whose effects seem to reverberate; "he dropped a clanger" clawback - finding a way to take money back from people that they were given in another way; "the Treasury will find some clawback for the extra benefits members received" lucky dip - a selection or decision purely at random; "their system of hiring people seemed to be a sort of lucky dip" flit - a secret move (to avoid paying debts); "they did a moonlight flit" rustication - temporary dismissal of a student from a university perambulation - a walk around a territory (a parish or manor or forest etc.) in order to officially assert and record its boundaries fare-stage - a section along the route of a bus for which the fare is the same pony-trekking - a sport in which people ride across country on ponies fives - a game resembling handball; played on a court with a front wall and two side walls bar billiards, bagatelle - a table game in which short cues are used to knock balls into holes that are guarded by wooden pegs; penalties are incurred if the pegs are knocked over tombola - a lottery in which tickets are drawn from a revolving drum ludo - a simple board game in which players move counters according to the throw of dice shove-ha'penny, shove-halfpenny, shovel board - a game in which coins or discs are slid by hand across a board toward a mark lucky dip - a game in which prizes (e.g., candies or coins) are concealed in a container and for a small sum a player can draw one out at random piss-up - vulgar expression for a bout of heavy drinking rag - a boisterous practical joke (especially by college students) hornpipe - a British solo dance performed by sailors panto - an abbreviation of pantomime doddle - an easy task minister - the job of a head of a government department headship - the position of headmaster or headmistress costing - cost accounting 11-plus, eleven-plus - (formerly in Britain) an examination taken by 11 and 12 year old students to select suitable candidates for grammar school swiz - British slang for a swindle Ministry of Transportation test, MOT test, MOT - a compulsory annual test of older motor vehicles for safety and exhaust fumes fire watching - (during World War II in Britain) watching for fires started by bombs that dropped from the sky snogging - (British informal) cuddle and kiss zizz - a nap; "Arthur's taking a short zizz" dekko - British slang for a look square-bashing - drill on a barracks square rub up - a review that refreshes your memory; "I need a rub up on my Latin" shufti - a quick look around (originally military slang); "take a shufti while you're out there" lie-in - a long stay in bed in the morning point duty - the control of traffic by a policeman stationed at an intersection national assistance, social assistance, supplementary benefit - benefits paid to bring incomes up to minimum levels established by law boot sale, car boot sale - an outdoor sale at which people sell things from the trunk of their car invigilation - keeping watch over examination candidates to prevent cheating aggro - (informal British usage) aggravation or aggression; "I skipped it because it was too much aggro" punch-up - a fistfight; "the quarrel ended in a punch-up" go-slow - a form of protest by workers in which they deliberately slow down in order to cause problem from their employers Battle of Britain - the prolonged bombardment of British cities by the German Luftwaffe during World War II and the aerial combat that accompanied it arterial road - a major or main route backbench - any of the seats occupied by backbenchers in the House of Commons |
Translations
United Kingdom n the United Kingdom → il Regno Unito
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