Bengal
UK /bɛŋˈɡɔːl/ · US /bɛŋˈɡɑl/ proper noun, noun, adjective
Forms Bengals
- proper noun A geographic region in the northeast of South Asia today divided between Bangladesh and India (particularly the state of West Bengal).
- noun A short-haired domestic cat of a particular breed that originated in the United States.
- noun (American football) A player on the team The Cincinnati Bengals. “Jones became a Bengal in a trade for Smith.”
- noun A Bengal tiger.
- adjective Of or pertaining to the Bengal region.
Synonyms
Etymology
Borrowed from Portuguese Bengala, from Classical Persian بَنْگَالَه (bangāla), from Middle Bengali বাঙ্গালা (baṅgala), said to be from the Vanga Kingdom, of uncertain ultimate origin. Vangalam has been attested in medieval South India. Doublet of Bangla.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “Bengal”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details