Word
samoa
Phoneticssamoa
/səˈmoʊə/
Definitions
01the country
n. an independent country in the South Pacific made of several islands.
n. an independent sovereign state in Polynesia, consisting of the western part of the Samoan Islands.
“Many people travel to Samoa to enjoy the beautiful beaches and traditional culture.”
“The Independent State of Samoa maintains a unique cultural identity while participating actively in Pacific regional diplomacy.”
Synonyms
02the cookie
n. a popular American cookie made with caramel, coconut, and chocolate.
n. a specific variety of cookie featuring caramel, toasted coconut, and chocolate stripes, traditionally sold by the Girl Scouts of the USA.
“I bought three boxes of Samoas from the Girl Scouts outside the grocery store.”
“The seasonal availability of Samoas often leads to a surge in demand among American consumers who wait all year for the fundraiser.”
American English · Informal
Teaching tip
This sense is specific to the United States; in other English-speaking countries, people will only recognize the word as the name of the country.
Synonyms
Etymology
Borrowed from Samoan Sāmoa. See there for more.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.