detroit
n. countablen. a large city in the United States known for making cars. People often use the name to talk about the American car industry in general.
n. a major industrial city in Michigan, United States, historically significant as the global centre of automotive manufacturing. Often used metonymically to refer to the American automobile industry.
Many people in Detroit work for car companies.
After decades of economic decline, Detroit is seeing a new wave of investment in its downtown area.
The rise of foreign competition in the late twentieth century forced Detroit to restructure its manufacturing processes to remain competitive in a globalised market.
From French détroit (“strait”) in Rivière du Détroit (Detroit River). Doublet of district, via Latin.
When used to refer to the city itself, it is a proper noun; when used metonymically for the car industry, it functions as a collective singular.