holland
n. uncountablen. a common name for the Netherlands, a country in Western Europe. While it technically refers to only two parts of the country, many people use it to mean the whole nation.
n. a common informal designation for the Netherlands. Strictly speaking, it refers to the provinces of North and South Holland, but it is frequently used as a synecdoche for the entire sovereign state.
We are going to Holland for our summer holiday.
Many tourists visit Holland in the spring to see the famous tulip fields and historic windmills.
Although the official name of the country is the Netherlands, the national tourism board often uses the name Holland to capitalise on its international recognition and historical prestige.
From Old Dutch holt lant (“wood land”). A popular but false etymology holds that it is derived from hol land (“hollow land”), inspired by the low-lying geography of both the Dutch and the English region (Holland, Lincolnshire).
From Old English hoh land (“spur land”).
Often used with the definite article when referring to the specific provinces, but used without an article when functioning as a synonym for the country.
the HollandHollandWhen using Holland to refer to the country, do not use 'the' before it, unlike 'the Netherlands'.