Peru

geographical name

Pe·​ru pə-ˈrü How to pronounce Peru (audio)
pā-
1
country in western South America on the Pacific coast south of the Equator; a republic; capital Lima area 496,225 square miles (1,285,216 square kilometers), population 31,331,000
2
Spanish viceroyalty 1542–1718 comprising modern Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Bolivia, Paraguay, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and a large portion of modern Brazil; capital Lima
Peruvian adjective or noun

Dictionary Entries Near Peru

Cite this Entry

“Peru.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Peru. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on Peru

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!