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 region
2 : 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