English Reference

Word

iowa

Phoneticsiowa

/ˈaɪəwə/

Definitions

01US state

B2

n. a state in the middle of the United States, famous for growing corn and its flat farmland.

n. a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi and Missouri rivers.

“Des Moines is the capital city of Iowa.”

“Iowa plays a significant role in American politics because it traditionally holds the first contest in the presidential primary season.”

Synonyms

the Hawkeye State

02Native American people

C2

n. a member of a Native American group that used to live in the area that is now the state of Iowa.

n. a member of the Siouan-speaking indigenous people formerly inhabiting the region between the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.

“The Iowa people lived in the plains long before the state was formed.”

“Historical records detail the migration patterns of the Iowa as they moved southward from the Great Lakes region.”

Formal

Synonyms

Ioway

Etymology

From French Aiouez/Ayoés, an early transliteration of the name for the Iowa tribe, from Dakota ayúxba (“sleepy ones”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Common
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/iowa

English Reference