Main Entry:

me·trop·o·lis

Pronunciation:

\mə-ˈträ-p(ə-)ləs\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English, from Late Latin, from Greek mētropolis, from mētr-, mētēr mother + polis city — more at mother, police

Date:

14th century

1: the chief or capital city of a country, state, or region2: the city or state of origin of a colony (as of ancient Greece)3 a: a city regarded as a center of a specified activity b: a large important city