Illinois: Meaning and Definition of

Il•li•nois

Pronunciation: (il"u-noi', -noiz'), [key]
— n.
  1. a state in the central United States: a part of the Midwest. 11,418,461; 56,400 sq. mi. (146,075 sq. km). Cap.: Springfield. Abbr.: IL (for use with zip code), Ill.
  2. a river flowing SW from NE Illinois to the Mississippi River: connected by a canal with Lake Michigan. 273 mi. (440 km) long.

Il•li•nois

Pronunciation: (il"u-noi' or, sometimes, -noiz'), [key]
— pl. -nois
  1. a member of a confederacy of North American Indians of Algonquian stock, formerly occupying Illinois and adjoining regions westward.
  2. the Algonquian language of the Illinois and Miami Indians.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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