familiar or colloquial shortening of Philadelphia, attested by 1890, but from 1858 as the popular name of a ferry boat of that name that crossed the Delaware River from the city to Camden, and a city baseball team has been called the Phillies since 1883.
1540s, literally "of or pertaining to the Italian city of Florence," from Latin Florentinus, from Florentia, the Roman name of the city (see Florence). Earliest reference in English is to a type of textile fabric. As a noun from 1590s.
city of ancient Attica, capital of modern Greece, from Greek Athenai (plural because the city had several distinct parts), traditionally derived from Athena, but probably assimilated from a lost name in a pre-Hellenic language.
city in southwestern France, Roman Burdigala (1c.), perhaps from a Celtic or pre-Celtic source the sense of which has been lost. From 1560s in English as a type of wine imported from the city.
late 14c., exposicioun, "explanation, narration," from Old French esposicion "explanation, interpretation" (12c.) and directly from Latin expositionem (nominative expositio) "a setting or showing forth; narration, explanation," noun of action from past-participle stem of exponere "put forth; explain; expose," from ex "from, forth" (see ex-) + ponere "to put, place" (see position (n.)).
The meaning "public display" is attested by 1851 in reference to the Crystal Palace Exposition in London. Abbreviation Expo is recorded from 1963, in reference to planning for the world's fair held in Montreal in 1967.
city of ancient Syria, from Greek Palmyra. Related: Palmyrene.
1936, from Gen. Emilio Mola's comment at the siege of Madrid during the Spanish Civil War that he would take the city with his four columns of troops outside it and his "fifth column" (quinta columna) in the city.
U.S. high-speed inter-city train, 1969, from metropolitan + liner.
city in Michigan, U.S., from French détroit, literally "straits," from Old French destreit (12c.), from Latin districtum, neuter of districtus (see district (n.)). A French fort was built there 1701. By 1918 the city name was synonymous with "U.S. automobile manufacturing."
