Main Entry:

Or·e·gon

Pronunciation:

\ˈȯr-i-gən, ˈär-, chiefly by outsiders -ˌgän\

Function:

geographical name

1 the Columbia River —an early name used especially prior to discovery of mouth & renaming of river (1792) by Capt. Robert Gray 2 state NW United States ∗ Salem area 97,073 square miles (251,419 square kilometers), population 3,421,399

— Or·e·go·nian \ˌȯr-i-ˈgō-nē-ən, ˌär-, -nyən\ adjective or noun