Newfoundland
/ˈnjuːˌfaʊnd.lənd/ proper noun, noun
Forms Newfoundlands
- proper noun A large island off the coast of eastern Canada, which, along with Labrador, has composed the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador since 1949, and the Dominion of Newfoundland, before it.
- proper noun (historical) Former name of Newfoundland and Labrador.
- proper noun (historical) A former North American constituent country of the British Empire; in full, Dominion of Newfoundland.
- proper noun (historical) A former North American colony of the British Empire; in full, Colony of Newfoundland.
- noun A very large breed of working dog from Newfoundland, with a shaggy, usually black coat, known for its water rescue ability, strength, and gentle disposition.
Synonyms
Island of Newfoundland Newfoundland Island the Rock Newf Newfoundland dog
Etymology
From Middle English new found lande (in a letter, apparently written in 1499, from Henry VII of England to his lord chancellor, Cardinal John Morton, about the North American land explored by Sebastian and John Cabot, a likely location being Newfoundland, or the name later being specifically narrowed down to it), equivalent to newfound + land.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “Newfoundland”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details