Panama

UK: /ˈpænəmɑː/ US: (pan′ə mä′, -mô′)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

Pan•a•ma  (pan′ə mä′, -mô′), n. 

1. Place Names a republic in S Central America. 2,693,417; 28,575 sq. mi. (74,010 sq. km).
2. Place Names Also called Panama City. a city in and the capital of Panama, at the Pacific end of the Panama Canal. 438,000.
3. Place Names Isthmus of. Formerly, Isthmus of Darien. an isthmus between North and South America.
4. Place Names Gulf of, the portion of the Pacific in the bend of the Isthmus of Panama.
5. Clothing (sometimes l.c.) See Panama hat. 

Also, Pa•na•má  (Sp. pä′nä mä′) (for defs. 1, 2). Pan•a•ma•ni•an  (pan′ə mā′nē ən, -mä′-), adj., n.  Pan•am•ic  (pa nam′ik), adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Panama / ˌpænəˈmɑː ˈpænəˌmɑː/ noun

1. a republic in Central America, occupying the Isthmus of Panama: gained independence from Spain in 1821 and joined Greater Colombia; became independent in 1903, with the immediate area around the canal forming the Canal Zone under US jurisdiction; Panama assumed sovereignty over the Canal Zone in 1979 and full control in 1999. Official language: Spanish; English is also widely spoken. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: balboa. Capital: Panama City. Pop: 4 098 587 (2017 est). Area: 75 650 sq km (29 201 sq miles)
2. Isthmus of Panama ⇒ an isthmus linking North and South America, between the Pacific and the Caribbean. Length: 676 km (420 miles). Width (at its narrowest point): 50 km (31 miles)
   Former name: Darien, Isthmus of Darien
3. Gulf of Panama ⇒ a wide inlet of the Pacific in Panama