Brussels

[bruhs-uh lz] /ˈbrʌs əlz/
noun
1.
a city in and the capital of Belgium, in the central part.
Flemish Brussel
[brys-uh l] /ˈbrüs əl/ (Show IPA).
French Bruxelles.

Belgium

[bel-juh m] /ˈbɛl dʒəm/
noun
1.
a kingdom in W Europe, bordering the North Sea, N of France. 11,779 sq. mi. (30,508 sq. km).
Capital: Brussels.
French Belgique
[bel-zheek] /bɛlˈʒik/ (Show IPA).
Flemish België
[bel-khee-uh] /ˈbɛl xi ə/ (Show IPA).

Brabant

[bruh-bant, brah-buh nt; Dutch brah-bahnt; French bra-bahn] /brəˈbænt, ˈbrɑ bənt; Dutch ˈbrɑ bɑnt; French braˈbɑ̃/
noun
1.
a former duchy in W Europe, now divided between the Netherlands and Belgium.
2.
a province in central Belgium. 1268 sq. mi. (3285 sq. km).
Capital: Brussels.
Related forms
Brabantine
[bruh-ban-tin, -tahyn] /brəˈbæn tɪn, -taɪn/ (Show IPA), adjective
British Dictionary definitions for Brussels

Brussels

/ˈbrʌsəlz/
noun
1.
the capital of Belgium, in the central part: became capital of Belgium in 1830; seat of the European Commission. Pop: 999 899 (2004 est) Flemish name Brussel (ˈbrysəl) French name Bruxelles

Belgium

/ˈbɛldʒəm/
noun
1.
a federal kingdom in NW Europe: at various times under the rulers of Burgundy, Spain, Austria, France, and the Netherlands before becoming an independent kingdom in 1830. It formed the Benelux customs union with the Netherlands and Luxembourg in 1948 and and was a founder member of the Common Market, now the European Union. It consists chiefly of a low-lying region of sand, woods, and heath (the Campine) in the north and west, and a fertile undulating central plain rising to the Ardennes Mountains in the southeast. Languages: French, Flemish (Dutch), German. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: euro. Capital: Brussels. Pop: 10 444 268 (2013 est). Area: 30 513 sq km (11 778 sq miles)

Brabant

/brəˈbænt/
noun
1.
a former duchy of W Europe: divided when Belgium became independent (1830), the south forming the Belgian provinces of Antwerp and Brabant and the north forming the province of North Brabant in the Netherlands
2.
a former province of central Belgium; replaced in 1995 by the provinces of Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant
Word Origin and History for Brussels

capital of old Brabant, now of Belgium, of Germanic origin, from brocca "marsh" + sali "room, building," from Latin cella (see cell). It arose 6c. as a fortress on an island in a river. As a type of carpet, from 1799; as a type of lace, from 1748. Brussels sprouts (Brassica oleracea gemmifera) attested from 1748 (first written description is from 1580s).

Belgium

c.1600, "Low Germany and the Netherlands," from the Latin name of the territory near here occupied by the Belgæ, a Celtic tribe. Adopted 1830 as the name of a new nation formed from the southern part of the former United Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Brabant

region in eastern Belgium (in Middle Ages much more extensive), from Old High German brahha "newly broken land" (see break (v.)) + bant "region."

Brussels in Culture

Belgium definition


Monarchy in northwestern Europe, bordered by the North Sea and The Netherlands to the north, Germany and Luxembourg to the east, and France to the south. Its capital and largest city is Brussels.

Note: Headquarters for the EU and for NATO.

Brussels definition


Capital of Belgium and largest city in the country, located in central Belgium; a commercial, industrial, financial, administrative, and cultural center.

Note: Several international organizations, including NATO and the EU are headquartered in Brussels.