old country

noun, often capitalized O&C

|Updated on: 14 Jul 2018

Definition of old country

: an emigrant's country of origin; especially : one in Europe —usually used with the

See old country defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of old country from the Web

If a Jew came to a village in the old country somewhere . . .

— hannah natanson, Washington Post, "They survived the Holocaust, and then he rescued her from communism. Sixty-five years later, they’ve reunited.," 9 July 2018
Oddly, the oldest traditions continue more in the U.S. than in the old country, Gary Lind-Sinanian said.

— roger catlin, Smithsonian, "How Armenian Dance Adapted Over Time and Place," 26 June 2018
Dalton has continued to exist at a crossroads of old country, soul and folk since.

— andrew dansby, Houston Chronicle, "Lacy J. Dalton still making good music after all these years," 14 June 2018
As my father knew well, duty could not be so easily left behind in the old country.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "We Are Scientists," 5 June 2018
A half-century ago, Filipino seafarers re-created a piece of the old country on this weedy hillside in San Pedro.

— joe mozingo, latimes.com, "One of L.A.'s oldest community gardens thrived for decades. Then the water wars began.," 4 June 2018
Yet a closer look at the early history of the United States and Haiti — proudly, the two oldest countries in this hemisphere — suggests that the relationship was once very different.

— ted widmer, BostonGlobe.com, "How Haiti saved America," 12 Jan. 2018
PGA Tour star Jordan Spieth had heard an old country club rumor about a shadow helping a ball drop into a hole.

— drew davison, star-telegram, "How 48-year-old Tim "Lumpy" Herron made lone eagle on this hole at Colonial | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 26 May 2018
Until the recent opening of Park Forest Foods in the old Country Squire location, Park Forest had gone a few years without a grocery store.

— donna vickroy, Daily Southtown, "Farmers markets, produce trucks bring oases to Southland's food deserts," 4 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'old country.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of old country

1751

in the meaning defined above

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old country

Definition of old country

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First Known Use of old country

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