U.S. state, earlier a county of Virginia, organized 1776; the name is of Iroquois or Shawnee origin, perhaps a Wyandot (Iroquoian) word meaning "meadow" (cf. Seneca geda'geh "at the field"); the river name seems to have been the original use in English; the native use perhaps was first in reference to a village in Clark County known in Shawnee as Eskippakithiki. Related: Kentuckian.
State in the east-central United States bordered by Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to the east; Tennessee to the south; and Missouri to the west. Its capital is Frankfort. Louisville is its largest city.
Note: The state is known for the breeding of race horses. The Kentucky Derby, a famous horse race, is held every year in Louisville.
Note: Kentucky bluegrass is a type of folk music that originated in the southern United States. The music is named for a bluish-tinged grass that grows in Kentucky.