berlin

[ ber-lin, bur-lin ]
/ bərˈlɪn, ˈbɜr lɪn /

noun

a large, four-wheeled, closed carriage hung between two perches and having two interior seats.
Automotive. berline.
(sometimes initial capital letter) Berlin wool.

Origin of berlin

1725–35; after Berlin, Germany; the carriage was allegedly designed about 1670 by an architect of the Elector of Brandenburg

Words nearby berlin

berkshire hills, berkshires, berle, berley, berlichingen, berlin, berlin airlift, berlin blue, berlin wall, berlin wool, berlin, irving

Definition for berlin (2 of 4)

Berlin
[ ber-lin for 1–3, bur-lin for 4, 5; for 3, German ber-leen ]
/ bərˈlɪn for 1–3, ˈbɜr lɪn for 4, 5; for 3, German bɛrˈlin /

noun

Irving,1888–1989, U.S. songwriter.
Isaiah,1909–97, English political philosopher and historian, born in Latvia.
the capital of Germany, in the NE part: constitutes a state. 341 sq. mi. (883 sq. km). Formerly (1948-90) divided into a western zone (West Berlin), a part of West Germany; and an eastern zone (East Berlin), the capital of East Germany.
a town in central Connecticut.
a city in N New Hampshire.

Definition for berlin (3 of 4)

berline

or ber·lin

[ ber-lin, bur-lin ]
/ bərˈlɪn, ˈbɜr lɪn /

noun

an automobile with the front and rear compartments separated by a glass partition, as some limousines.

Origin of berline

From French; see origin at berlin

Definition for berlin (4 of 4)

Germany
[ jur-muh-nee ]
/ ˈdʒɜr mə ni /

noun

a republic in central Europe: after World War II divided into four zones, British, French, U.S., and Soviet, and in 1949 into East Germany and West Germany; East and West Germany were reunited in 1990. 137,852 sq. mi. (357,039 sq. km). Capital: Berlin.
Official name Federal Republic of Germany. German Deutschland. Formerly Deutsches Reich.
Compare East Germany, West Germany.

Example sentences from the Web for berlin

British Dictionary definitions for berlin (1 of 4)

berlin
/ (bəˈlɪn, ˈbɜːlɪn) /

noun

Also called: berlin wool (sometimes capital) a fine wool yarn used for tapestry work, etc
a four-wheeled two-seated covered carriage, popular in the 18th century
a limousine with a glass partition between the front and rear seats
Also called (for senses 2, 3): berline ( bəˈliːn, ˈbɜːliːn)

Word Origin for berlin

C18: named after Berlin

British Dictionary definitions for berlin (2 of 4)

Berlin 1
/ (bɜːˈlɪn, German bɛrˈliːn) /

noun

the capital of Germany (1871–1945 and from 1990), formerly divided (1945–90) into the eastern sector, capital of East Germany, and the western sectors, which formed an exclave in East German territory closely affiliated with West Germany: a wall dividing the sectors was built in 1961 by the East German authorities to stop the flow of refugees from east to west; demolition of the wall began in 1989 and the city was formally reunited in 1990: formerly (1618–1871) the capital of Brandenburg and Prussia. Pop: 3 388 477 (2003 est)

British Dictionary definitions for berlin (3 of 4)

Berlin 2
/ (bɜːˈlɪn) /

noun

Irving . original name Israel Baline, 1888–1989, US composer and writer of lyrics, born in Russia. His musical comedies include Annie Get Your Gun (1946); his most popular song is White Christmas
Sir Isaiah . 1909–97, British philosopher, born in Latvia, historian, and diplomat. His books include Historical Inevitability (1954) and The Magus of the North (1993)

British Dictionary definitions for berlin (4 of 4)

Germany
/ (ˈdʒɜːmənɪ) /

noun

a country in central Europe: in the Middle Ages the centre of the Holy Roman Empire; dissolved into numerous principalities; united under the leadership of Prussia in 1871 after the Franco-Prussian War; became a republic with reduced size in 1919 after being defeated in World War I; under the dictatorship of Hitler from 1933 to 1945; defeated in World War II and divided by the Allied Powers into four zones, which became established as East and West Germany in the late 1940s; reunified in 1990: a member of the European Union. It is flat and low-lying in the north with plateaus and uplands (including the Black Forest and the Bavarian Alps) in the centre and south. Official language: German. Religion: Christianity, Protestant majority. Currency: euro. Capital: Berlin. Pop: 81 147 265 (2013 est). Area: 357 041 sq km (137 825 sq miles) German name: Deutschland Official name: Federal Republic of Germany See also East Germany, West Germany Related adjective: Teutonic

Cultural definitions for berlin (1 of 2)

Berlin

Capital of reunited Germany, located in the northeastern part of the country.

notes for Berlin

Formerly the capital of Prussia and then of Germany, Berlin was occupied by American, British, French, and Soviet troops after World War II. Disagreements among the Allies led to the partition of the city, with the Soviet zone becoming East Berlin, and the other zones West Berlin. East Berlin became the capital of the communist German Democratic Republic ( East Germany), but West Berlin lost its capital status to Bonn in the Federal Republic of Germany ( West Germany).

notes for Berlin

The Berlin Airlift of 1948–1949 supplied West Berlin by air transport after the Soviet Union set up a land and water blockade in an attempt to gain political control of this noncommunist “island” in the midst of communist East Germany.

notes for Berlin

The two Berlins were physically separated by the Berlin Wall (see also Berlin Wall), a barrier designed to prevent East Germans from crossing into West Berlin, from 1961 to 1989.

notes for Berlin

With the reunification of the two Germanys in 1990, the reunified city of Berlin was restored to its place as Germany's capital.

Cultural definitions for berlin (2 of 2)

Germany

Republic in north-central Europe, divided into East Germany and West Germany in 1949 and reunited in 1990. Officially called the Federal Republic of Germany.

notes for Germany

Germany was a collection of competing states until it was unified during the second half of the nineteenth century under the leadership of Otto von Bismarck.

notes for Germany

Germany's industrial, colonial, and naval expansion was considered a threat by the British and French and was one of the main causes of World War I, in which Germany was badly defeated.

notes for Germany

After the defeat of the Nazis in World War II, Germany was divided into four zones occupied by British, French, Soviet, and American forces.

notes for Germany

Since reunification Germany has become Europe's leading economic power. ( See East Germany and West Germany under “World History since 1550.”)