capital of Republic of Congo, named for French explorer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, who founded it in 1883. An Italian count, his title is from the Adriatic island of Brazza, now Brač in Croatia.
by 1851 as a shortening of medic. As a colloquial shortening of medicine, by 1942. With a capital M and short for Mediterranean, by 1948. Meds as a shortening of medications is attested in hospital jargon by 1965.
in architecture, "one of the main stalks on the second row of a Corinthian capital," 1560s, from Latin caulis "stem or stalk of a plant" (see cole (n.1)). The literal sense in English is from 1870.
c. 1400, "fortune, chance," shortening of aventure (n.), a variant of adventure (n.); also from Anglo-French venture. Sense of "risky undertaking" first recorded 1560s; meaning "enterprise of a business nature" is recorded from 1580s. Venture capital is attested from 1943.
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.
Latvian capital and former Hanseatic city, founded 1201, according to Room the name is from either Lithuanian ringa "bend, curve," or Latvian ridzina "stream," both with reference to its position on the Dvina River.
1830 as the name of a children's game (OED describes it as "all-fours" when played for seven "chalks"); with capital initials, as the proprietary name of a brand of carbonated drink, it is attested from 1928.
capital of Tibet, Tibetan, literally "city of the gods," from lha "god" + sa "city." The Lhasa apso type of dog is so called from 1935 in English, from Tibetan, literally "Lhasa terrier." Earlier name in English was Lhasa terrier (1894).
Cuban capital city, founded 1514 by Diego Velázquez as San Cristóbal de la Habana "St. Christopher of the Habana," apparently the name of a local native people. The Spanish adjective form is Habanero. Meaning "cigar made in Havana" is by 1826.
