mississippi
n. uncountablen. a major river in the United States that flows from the north down to the Gulf of Mexico. It is also the name of a state in the southern part of the country.
n. a major river in central North America, flowing south through the United States to the Gulf of Mexico; also a state in the southeastern United States. When referring to the river, it is typically preceded by the definite article.
The Mississippi River is very long and wide.
Many famous stories by Mark Twain take place on the banks of the Mississippi.
The Mississippi serves as a vital commercial artery for the United States, facilitating the transport of agricultural goods from the Midwest to international markets via the Gulf of Mexico.
Borrowed from Ojibwe misi-ziibi, ᒥᓯ᐀ᓰᐱ (misi-siipi, “great river”).
Although its current spelling may be derived from that of its much larger American cousin, it is most certainly a corruption of a different indigenous name, as the translation “great water” would not apply to a relatively minor tributary of the Ottawa, definitely the largest river in the area. Instead, the name may originate from Mazinaa[bikinigan]-ziibi, Algonquian for “[painted] image river”, referring to the pictographs found on Mazinaw Lake, though this is by no means proven.
When referring to the river, it is almost always used with the definite article ('the Mississippi'). When referring to the state, no article is used.