Word
quebec
Phoneticsque·bec
/kwəˈbɛk/
Definitions
01Canadian province
n. a large province in eastern Canada where the official language is French.
n. a province in eastern Canada, the only one with a predominantly French-speaking population and French as its sole official language.
“Many people in Quebec speak both French and English at home.”
“Quebec maintains a unique legal system based on French civil law, distinguishing it from the common law traditions of other Canadian provinces.”
02capital city
n. the capital city of the province of Quebec, known for its old stone walls.
n. the capital city of the province of Quebec, situated on the Saint Lawrence River.
“We spent the weekend walking through the historic streets of Quebec City.”
“Founded in 1608, Quebec remains one of the oldest European settlements in North America and is famous for its fortified colonial core.”
Synonyms
03phonetic alphabet
n. the word used for the letter 'Q' when speaking clearly over the radio.
n. the code word for the letter Q in the NATO phonetic alphabet.
“The pilot spelled out the flight code: Alpha, Bravo, Quebec.”
“To ensure clarity during the emergency broadcast, the operator used the standard phonetic alphabet, identifying the vessel as Tango-Quebec-Four.”
Technical
Usage
Always capitalized in this context; used primarily in aviation, maritime, and military communications.
Etymology
From French Québec, from Algonquin kepék (“(it) narrows”). Cognate with Mi'kmaq gepe'g (“plug”), and Mi'kmaq Kepinkek. It originally referred to the area around Quebec City where the Saint Lawrence River narrows to a cliff-lined gap. The name of the city preceded that of the province.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/quebec