Russia

[ ruhsh-uh ]
/ ˈrʌʃ ə /

noun

Also called Russian Empire. Russian Rossiya. a former empire in E Europe and N and W Asia: overthrown by the Russian Revolution 1917. Capital: St. Petersburg (1703–1917).
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
Russian Federation.

OTHER WORDS FROM Russia

an·ti-Rus·sia, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH Russia

Russia Soviet Union

Definition for russia (2 of 2)

Russia leather

noun

a fine, smooth leather produced by careful tanning and dyeing, especially in dark red: originally prepared in Russia.
Also called rus·sia.

Origin of Russia leather

First recorded in 1650–60

Example sentences from the Web for russia

British Dictionary definitions for russia (1 of 2)

Russia
/ (ˈrʌʃə) /

noun

the largest country in the world, covering N Eurasia and bordering on the Pacific and Arctic Oceans and the Baltic, Black, and Caspian Seas: originating from the principality of Muscovy in the 17th century, it expanded to become the Russian Empire; the Tsar was overthrown in 1917 and the Communist Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic was created; this merged with neighbouring Soviet Republics in 1922 to form the Soviet Union; on the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 the Russian Federation was established as an independent state. Official language: Russian. Religion: nonreligious and Russian orthodox Christian. Currency: rouble. Capital: Moscow. Pop: 142 500 482 (2013 est). Area: 17 074 984 sq km (6 592 658 sq miles)
another name for the Russian Empire
another name for the former Soviet Union
another name for the former Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
Russian name: Rossiya

British Dictionary definitions for russia (2 of 2)

Russia leather

noun

a smooth dyed leather made from calfskin and scented with birch tar oil, originally produced in Russia

Cultural definitions for russia

Russia

A vast nation that stretches from eastern Europe across the Eurasian land mass. It was the most powerful republic of the former Soviet Union; ethnic Russians composed about half of the population. It is the world's largest country. Its capital and largest city is Moscow.

notes for Russia

Russia was ruled by czars of the Romanov family from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries.

notes for Russia

Peter the Great, a czar who reigned in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, attempted to westernize Russian government and culture.

notes for Russia

During the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Bolsheviks, under Lenin, took control of the government; communists governed from 1917 until 1991.

notes for Russia

Russia now occupies the seat on the Security Council of the United Nations formerly held by the Soviet Union.