Morocco

[muh-rok-oh] /məˈrɒk oʊ/
noun
1.
French Maroc. Spanish Marruecos. a kingdom in NW Africa: formed from a sultanate that was divided into two protectorates (French Morocco and Spanish Morocco) and an international zone. 172,104 sq. mi. (445,749 sq. km).
Capital: Rabat.
Compare Tangier Zone.
2.
former name of Marrakesh.
3.
(lowercase) a fine, pebble-grained leather, originally made in Morocco from goatskin tanned with sumac.
4.
(lowercase) any leather made in imitation of this.
Also called morocco leather (for defs 3, 4).
Related forms
Moroccan
[muh-rok-uh n] /məˈrɒk ən/ (Show IPA), adjective, noun
pro-Moroccan, adjective, noun
British Dictionary definitions for Morocco

morocco

/məˈrɒkəʊ/
noun
1.
  1. a fine soft leather made from goatskins, used for bookbinding, shoes, etc
  2. (as modifier): morocco leather
Word Origin
C17: after Morocco, where it was originally made

Morocco

/məˈrɒkəʊ/
noun
1.
a kingdom in NW Africa, on the Mediterranean and the Atlantic: conquered by the Arabs in about 683, who introduced Islam; at its height under Berber dynasties (11th–13th centuries); became a French protectorate in 1912 and gained independence in 1956. It is mostly mountainous, with the Atlas Mountains in the centre and the Rif range along the Mediterranean coast, with the Sahara in the south and southeast; an important exporter of phosphates. Official language: Arabic; Berber and French are also widely spoken. Official religion: (Sunni) Muslim. Currency: dirham. Capital: Rabat. Pop: 32 649 130 (2013 est). Area: 458 730 sq km (177 117 sq miles) French name Maroc
Word Origin and History for Morocco

morocco

n.

"kind of fine flexible leather," 1630s, short for Morocco leather, from Morocco, the country in northwest Africa, where the tanned leather first was made.

country in northwest Africa, from Italian, from Berber Marrakesh (properly the name of the city of Marrakesh), from Arabic Maghrib-al-Aqca "Extreme West." Cf. French Maroc, German Marokko. In English, the first vowel has been altered, apparently by influence of Moor. Related: Moroccan.

Morocco in Culture

Morocco definition


Kingdom in northwestern Africa with coasts on the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea; it is bordered by Algeria to the east and the western Sahara to the south. Its largest city is Casablanca, and its capital is Rabat.